Finally a team where their name stands alone! No additional
name did I have to learn like “Tribe!”
and “Bucs!” We drove out to the stadium and were quite impressed with the view
we got from the interstate. You can literally see straight into the game. Today
was smokin’ hot so we opted for seats in the shade. These were a little bit
pricey but well worth it for my happiness. I believe Emily and Paul can attest
to how little fun I become when I’m sweating at a ballgame. Kansas City was
home to the 2012 All-Star game, which was only last Tuesday; therefore, this
stadium was flying some serious All-Star Pride all over. We were even able to
snag an All-Star souvenir cup. Carter was giddy as he proudly sported a Royal’s
Francoeur t-shirt. He cheered wildly for good ol’ Frenchy. In the words of
Carter—“he looks the same and it’s good to see a familiar face on the field.” I
must say I always leave a new stadium thinking that was my favorite, and I was
not disappointed here in Kansas City.
One
extremely odd thing did happen to us here at this stadium. As we were walking
towards the outfield, we passed a drink kiosk. One employee called out to us
curious if we would like the cup we were carrying filled with ice. Now the sun
was beating down and nothing sounded better than a cup full of ice! Carter
eagerly handed her our cup as we both beamed ear-to-ear grins at her. This lady
with a Band-Aid on her right pointed finger proceeded to dip her bare hands
into her cart of ice that had previously held dirty cans of beer. When her
hands reappeared they were dripping wet and full of ice. After dropping that
same ice into our cup, she repeated the process until the cup was full. “There’s
a water fountain over there,” she told us glowing with pride. She really
thought she was bee’s knees for helping us out. Stunned we turned around
dragging our open jaws with us. What just happened? Four words: out of body
experience.
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| Where we sat |
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| This stadium pays homage to their landscape. |
How Kauffman Measures
Up
Ballpark Concessions:
5
By far the best stadium food to date was found here at Kauffman. KC Cantina
was a food truck offering a variety of tacos served with a churro filled with
Brevarian cream. We shared the fish tacos and as Carter would say, “those were
money in the bank!” Next it was off to Topsy’s, for popcorn that was
outstanding. These pieces of popcorn were oversized and perfectly seasoned. Lastly
we headed to Sheridan’s Frozen Custard. I got the wedding cake custard cup. I
watched the guy put a whole piece of white cake into a cup, add ice cream and
blend like a blizzard. Delish! In addition to these unique places you can also
find more Kansas City BBQ like the burnt ends sandwich and all the traditional
ballpark favorites. I’m positive everything here will make your taste buds
boogie.
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| fish tacos! |
Stadium Architecture and Views: 5
This stadium is a bit different as it is located outside of the city; therefore, the views do not offer much from inside the stadium. Now from the interstate you are immediately impressed with the spectacular view of the field. Kansas City is known at The City of Fountains and to honor this fact Kauffman stadium is decorated with dramatic water displays and falls in the outfield. These fountains truly added sparkle to the field and compliment the “Royal’s” name. The Royal’s jumbo-tron is adorned with a crown that shoots fireworks for each player as they are introduced at the beginning of the game. Most of the seats offer good sight lines for watching the game and are aesthetically pleasing. A must do while attending a Royals game is watch an inning from the outfield at they turn the fountains on in-between innings. It’s out of the ordinary to watch the streams of water suddenly shoot up in various patterns offering a water ballet in the middle of a baseball game.
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| From the outfield |
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| Pre-Water Dance |
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| Water Dance |
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| View from the interstate |
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| there were taken from the car so they are not great. |
Fan Participation: 4
It was a blazing hot Sunday afternoon game. The stadium was not sold out
by any means; however, I have never heard a crowd with such small numbers cheer
so enthusiastically for their team. The roar of the fans when Moustakas, more
affectionately known as MOOOOOOOOOOSE, made a double play was deafening. All
around us we could hear very serious fan discussing what the Royals needed to
do to win the game. A lively and invested crowd intensified the game for us in
best way. I even found myself hollering after a great hit.
This
team did two unique things worth mentioning. One was the oblivious cam. This
very funny segment shown in-between innings would time how long a fan would take to
look at the screen. For example they showed an old man zoned in on his phone.
The other was the hotdog race. Now most ballparks do some sort of costumed run
for a winner. For example Turner Field does the Home Depot Tool Race. The
Royals add a whole new level their hotdog race. The rules are as follows:
3 hotdogs: Ketchup, Mustard, and Relish
Run a portion of the field
1 winner
The kicker: The people in the hotdogs-six to nine year old
kids. This race was absolutely adorable.
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| Look a southpaw! |
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| Frenchy! |
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| Moooooooose! |
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| The Hotdog Run |
Overall: 4.6
A
pleasant surprise found right outside of Kansas City. Our visit there was well
worth the time and money. The memories will not soon be forgotten.
