Kauffman is for Kids

Kauffman Stadium

Kauffman Stadium

  • Years: 1973-Present
  • Capacity: 37,903
  • Location: I-70 & Blue Ridge Cutoff
  • Originally known as Royals Stadium, the facility was officially renamed in honor of Ewing M. Kauffman in a ceremony on July 2, 1993.

Approaching Kauffman Stadium from the Blue Ridge Cutoff, you can see the upper deck behind home plate like a giant scoop reaching into the parking lot to gather the faithful.  A welcoming scoop, not a threatening one.  The seating concentrates in the upper deck around home plate and the outfield features more waterfalls than seating. Unlike the traditional ballpark, there is no expanse of bleachers, where the hapless last-minute ticket-holders would be fried in the afternoon sun.

Instead you find a symmetrical ball field with a good view of fair and foul territory from every seat. The staff welcomes you from the parking lot entrance to the security check to the ticket gate, and I speak as one who brashly wore his blue David Ortiz T-shirt and Red Sox cap through the gauntlet. Not a single sneer the entire two nights I attended. Almost drowned in a sea of blue Royals regalia, I still had friendly conversations with fans curious about Pablo Sandoval and Mookie Betts (What is his real name?).

Not to say it is a non-partisan ball park. The entire lower deck is trimmed with neon commands to “Make Noise” and “Louder,” and these begin in the first inning with the first Royal runner on base.  The fans rise to the occasion, although they do not rise to make the wave, despite the desperate efforts of a few sodden spectators. Cheering is the order of the day.

Kauffman is for kids as much as adults. Lots of T-shirt and peanut bag launching, lots of dance-, kiss-,  and fist-cams, a few cartoon races (catsup, mustard and relish sprint for glory) and some theme music (“Put Me In, Coach”) grab attention between innings. A lot of innocent rowdiness you won’t see in the older ballparks. This is a park with a recently-recruited fan base.

The Royals emerged as champions in 2015 after decades of disgrace, so the fans have legitimate heroes in Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakes (“Moose!”), Kelvin Herrera, and Alex Gordon. Gordon was batting ninth the June nights I visited Kauffman and his batting average was sinking below the Mendoza line (.200), but he was greeted with the loudest cheers regardless of his performance.  He alone is the authentic son of the Midwest on the roster, and he has endured as a Royal through injury and free agency.

The food at Kauffman usually rates at the top of the Major Leagues rankings for its variety and even occasionally nutrition. The walk around the second floor is like a shopping mall with the usual ballpark fare of brats, hot dogs, pizza and nachos, but also barbecue sandwiches, funnel cake fries, chicken quesadillas, and the heart-stopping peanut butter bacon burger.

But if beer is your staple, the variety and quality of draft and bottled beer is exceptional. The “Craft and Draft” offers 75 varieties, including nine styles of “Boulevard,” Kansas City’s home brewery. If you follow the second floor mallway around to the left field corner, you find the pub overlooking the outfield.  They make pizza to order, and no matter how many toppings, a 12″ pizza is $12.75, about the same as a 12 oz beer.  By inflationary ballpark standards, a reasonable price for dinner.  My choice for craft brew, the “Three Philosophers” bottled dark, but the range of ales and lagers will satisfy most discriminating beer lovers.

The current T-shirt theme is “Raised Royal,” and everything about the stadium appears young and fresh, including the fans. If you don’t mind the youthful programming or incessant noise, it is the right place to see a well-played game. The Royals play good fundamental baseball, even in the darkening days following their World Series triumph.  The fans are midwestern gentile, the beer is memorable, and the field has no nooks or crannies where hard grounders go to die. If they could solve the exiting from the parking lot, it would be quite wonderful. But what park has untied that knot?

 

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