Kauffman Stadium
Encyclopedia
Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium (icon; and also formerly known as Royals Stadium nicknamed The K.) is a Major League Baseball
stadium
located in Kansas City, Missouri
, and home to the Kansas City Royals
of the American League
. Together with Arrowhead Stadium
, home of the National Football League
's Kansas City Chiefs
, it is a part of the Truman Sports Complex
. Since July 2, 1993, the venue had been known as Kauffman Stadium in honor of the Royals' founding owner, Ewing Kauffman
.
Kauffman Stadium was built specifically for baseball during an era where building multisport "cookie-cutter" stadiums
were commonplace. It is often held up along with Dodger Stadium
in Los Angeles as one of the best examples of modernist stadium design.
It is the only ballpark in the American League to currently be named after a person (Ewing Kauffman
). The stadium is years old, making it the sixth-oldest stadium in major-league baseball. Kauffman stadium recently underwent a $250 million renovation, which began after the 2007 season and was completed in July 2009.
The 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
will be held at Kauffman Stadium.
, approved the bonds for Truman Sports Complex
, which featured a football stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs
and a baseball stadium for the Kansas City Athletics
, whose owner, Charles O. Finley
, had just signed a new lease to remain in Kansas City. This was unusual for the time; it was long considered conventional wisdom that separate football and baseball stadiums were not commercially viable. Before the 1968 season
, however, Finley moved the A's to Oakland, California
, and their brand-new multi-purpose stadium.
After the move, Missouri Senator
Stuart Symington
threatened to revoke baseball's anti-trust exemption if they did not give Kansas City a new team. Baseball responded by hastily granting expansion franchises to four cities, including a Kansas City team owned by local pharmaceutical magnate Ewing Kauffman
. The new teams were due to start play in , but pressure from Symington forced them to move up the start date to . Jackson County continued its plans to build a new ballpark. After playing four seasons in Kansas City Municipal Stadium, on April 10, 1973, the Royals
inaugurated Royals Stadium with a win over the Texas Rangers
.
On May 15, 1973, the stadium, barely a month into its existence, saw Nolan Ryan
, pitching for the California Angels
, throw the first of his seven no-hitter
s, blanking the Royals 3–0.
On July 24, 1973, Royals Stadium hosted its first
of two
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
s.
On October 9, 1976, the Royals
competed in their first post-season game in franchise history, losing 4–1 to the New York Yankees
at Royals Stadium in the American League Championship Series
. The Royals came back to win the next game on October 10, 6–3, for their first post-season win in Royals Stadium.
On October 17, 1980, the first
World Series
game held in Kansas City featured the hometown Royals
against the Philadelphia Phillies
. In his first at-bat, George Brett
hit a home run down the right field line. The Royals would go on to record their first-ever World Series win, 4–3 in 10 innings. However, the Royals would lose the World Series that year in six games.
On October 11, 1985, in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series
, George Brett hit two home runs off Toronto Blue Jays
pitcher Doyle Alexander
, made a back-handed stop at third base to throw out a runner at home, and recorded the final out to give the Royals
a much-needed 6–5 win. The Royals went on to win the American League pennant in seven games.
On October 27 of that same year, the Royals clinched their first World Series
title in franchise history, winning Game 7 in Royals Stadium. Led by the pitching of Bret Saberhagen
, Darryl Motley
's two-run home run, and George Brett's four hits, the Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals
11–0. The Royals were the first team in the history of the World Series to lose the first two games of the series at home and come back to win.
On June 16, 2010, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
announced that Kauffman Stadium has been awarded the 2012 MLB All-Star game.
Kauffman Stadium was the last baseball-only park built in the majors (not counting temporary facilities) from 1966 to 1991. It was one of the few baseball-only facilities built in the majors during the heyday of the cookie-cutter stadium
era, and is one of two such facilities (Dodger Stadium
is the other) that are still active and were never converted for use as multi-purpose stadiums.
Although it is a baseball-only facility, its design took several stylistic cues from the multi-purpose stadiums of the day. The main stadium itself is primarily concrete, with a smooth, uncovered concrete facade. The stands wrap around the infield and end at the foul poles, with smaller bleacher sections (or "outfield plazas," as the Royals call them) in the outfield. In their book, The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip, Josh Pahigaian and Kevin O'Connell described it as one-third of a cookie-cutter stadium. The upper deck is quite steep, though not as high as other parks built during this time. Many minor-league stadiums built in the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as U.S. Cellular Field
in Chicago
, employ a similar design.
The sight lines are generally very good; the only seriously obstructed views are in the outfield plazas, where some seats are directly behind the foul poles. Many of the seats in the two view levels are almost as high as comparable seats in cookie-cutter stadiums, especially in the back rows. Most of the seats are on the first level, putting most of the fans very close to the action.
By 2000
, all of the seats were replaced by blue seats, the lower section seating also getting cupholders.
The park's best-known feature is the fountain and waterfall display (known as the Water Spectacular) behind the right-field fence. At 322 feet, it is the largest privately-funded fountain in the world. The fountains are on display before and after the game and in-between innings, while the waterfalls are constantly flowing.
When the stadium was originally built, Kansas City was the westernmost major league city other than those along the Pacific Coast (1,600 miles away), which was a major reason why the Royals initially decided to use a faster-draining AstroTurf
surface. The Royals' home territory included a large swath of the Great Plains
and Rockies
, and Kauffman didn't want fans who drove many hundreds of miles to go home without seeing the game completed. The Truman Sports Complex's legendary groundskeeper, George Toma, best known as the head groundskeeper for every Super Bowl
, thus had the ironic job of maintaining two carpets for most of his career, along with the surface of Arrowhead Stadium
, which had AstroTurf from 1972 through 1993.
The arrival of the Colorado Rockies
, however, removed virtually all of the western portion of the Royals' once-vast home territory. Also in 1995, the stadium's turf was replaced by grass for the season
. When the Royals ripped out the turf, 4 inch perforated tile was installed at 12.5-foot centers across the entire field. As a result, the current grass field drains very well. Many newer facilities (and some older facilities through retrofitting) have similar drainage systems to minimize downtime after rain delays.
voters approved a 0.375-percentage point sales tax
increase to fund plans to renovate the Truman Sports Complex. The construction began with a ceremonial groundbreaking inside Kauffman Stadium on October 3, 2007, with completion of Kauffman Stadium in time for Opening Day
in 2009
, and full renovation of the complex (including nearby Arrowhead Stadium
) by 2010, depending upon cost overruns. The team committed to a lease that will keep them in Kansas City until 2030, an extension of their current lease expiration of 2015.
The improvements to Kauffman Stadium included the following:
The new high-definition scoreboard from Daktronics
of Brookings, South Dakota
was one of the first features to be installed. It replaced both the old matrix board in the shape of the Royals logo that had been in the park since its opening, along with the video board that had been installed in 1989. The new scoreboard was ready for Opening Day 2008
. It is 84 ft. wide and 105 ft. tall, and was, at the time it entered service, the largest high-definition LED display in the world. The display was assembled in 55 separate segments, including an active bottom taper to resemble the shield in the Royals logo. The video scoreboard alone cost $8.3 million, and the control room that operates it is staffed with 17 people on game days. It was adorned with a crown during the 2008 offseason. Strobe lights atop the scoreboard flash after every Royals home run.
Also, since this measure passed, MLB has announced that Kauffman Stadium will host the MLB All-Star Game in 2012. As part of this measure, every Jackson County
residential address will receive vouchers good for 50% off two tickets at Royals games on certain nights.
A second proposal on the April 2006 ballot would have installed a rolling roof at the Truman Sports Complex
. The roof could have been moved to cover either Kauffman Stadium or Arrowhead Stadium when needed. The measure failed at the polls.
, the Royals had a red seat placed in the stadium amongst the all-blue seats behind home plate to honor Buck O'Neil
. There will be a person selected every game from community nominees to sit in that seat, formerly occupied by O'Neil behind home plate in what was Section 101, Row C, Seat 1, until 2008 who embodies the spirit of Buck O'Neil. Due to the renovations and section renumbering in 2009 the seat number is now Section 127, Seat 9, Row C and the seat bottom is now padded.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
stadium
Baseball park
A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is a venue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating...
located in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, and home to the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. Together with Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
, home of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, it is a part of the Truman Sports Complex
Truman Sports Complex
The Harry S. Truman Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.. It is home to two major sports venues- Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, and Kauffman Stadium, home of Major League Baseball's Kansas City...
. Since July 2, 1993, the venue had been known as Kauffman Stadium in honor of the Royals' founding owner, Ewing Kauffman
Ewing Kauffman
Ewing Marion Kauffman was an American pharmaceutical magnate, philanthropist, and Major League Baseball owner....
.
Kauffman Stadium was built specifically for baseball during an era where building multisport "cookie-cutter" stadiums
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
were commonplace. It is often held up along with Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in Los Angeles as one of the best examples of modernist stadium design.
It is the only ballpark in the American League to currently be named after a person (Ewing Kauffman
Ewing Kauffman
Ewing Marion Kauffman was an American pharmaceutical magnate, philanthropist, and Major League Baseball owner....
). The stadium is years old, making it the sixth-oldest stadium in major-league baseball. Kauffman stadium recently underwent a $250 million renovation, which began after the 2007 season and was completed in July 2009.
The 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be the 83rd edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It will be held on July 10, 2012, during the 2012 Major League Baseball season at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, home of the Kansas City Royals...
will be held at Kauffman Stadium.
History
In 1967, voters in Jackson County, MissouriJackson County, Missouri
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...
, approved the bonds for Truman Sports Complex
Truman Sports Complex
The Harry S. Truman Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.. It is home to two major sports venues- Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, and Kauffman Stadium, home of Major League Baseball's Kansas City...
, which featured a football stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and a baseball stadium for the Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, whose owner, Charles O. Finley
Charles O. Finley
Charles Oscar Finley , nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American businessman who is best remembered for his tenure as the owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968...
, had just signed a new lease to remain in Kansas City. This was unusual for the time; it was long considered conventional wisdom that separate football and baseball stadiums were not commercially viable. Before the 1968 season
1968 Major League Baseball season
The Athletics played their first season in Oakland this year, following the team's relocation from Kansas City. It was also the last season of play before each of the two leagues were split into divisions for the following season.-The Year of the Pitcher:...
, however, Finley moved the A's to Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, and their brand-new multi-purpose stadium.
After the move, Missouri Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Stuart Symington
Stuart Symington
William Stuart Symington was a businessman and political figure from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a Democratic United States Senator from Missouri from 1953 to 1976.-Education and business career:...
threatened to revoke baseball's anti-trust exemption if they did not give Kansas City a new team. Baseball responded by hastily granting expansion franchises to four cities, including a Kansas City team owned by local pharmaceutical magnate Ewing Kauffman
Ewing Kauffman
Ewing Marion Kauffman was an American pharmaceutical magnate, philanthropist, and Major League Baseball owner....
. The new teams were due to start play in , but pressure from Symington forced them to move up the start date to . Jackson County continued its plans to build a new ballpark. After playing four seasons in Kansas City Municipal Stadium, on April 10, 1973, the Royals
1973 Kansas City Royals season
The 1973 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing second in the American League West with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses.- Offseason :...
inaugurated Royals Stadium with a win over the Texas Rangers
1973 Texas Rangers season
The Texas Rangers season involved the Rangers finishing sixth in the American League West with a record of 57 wins and 105 losses.- Offseason :* October 27, 1972: Jim Panther was traded by the Rangers to the Atlanta Braves for Rico Carty....
.
On May 15, 1973, the stadium, barely a month into its existence, saw Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, pitching for the California Angels
1973 California Angels season
The California Angels season involved the Angels finishing fourth in the American League West with a record of 79 wins and 83 losses.- Offseason :...
, throw the first of his seven no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s, blanking the Royals 3–0.
On July 24, 1973, Royals Stadium hosted its first
1973 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1973 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 44th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 24, 1973 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, home of the...
of two
2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be the 83rd edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It will be held on July 10, 2012, during the 2012 Major League Baseball season at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, home of the Kansas City Royals...
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
s.
On October 9, 1976, the Royals
1976 Kansas City Royals season
The 1976 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing first in the American League West with a record of 90 wins and 72 losses...
competed in their first post-season game in franchise history, losing 4–1 to the New York Yankees
1976 New York Yankees season
The 1976 New York Yankees season was the 74th season for the Yankees in New York, and the 76th season overall for the franchise. The team finished with a record of 97-62, finishing 10½ games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles to win their first American League East title.In the ALCS, the Yankees...
at Royals Stadium in the American League Championship Series
1976 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 9, 1976 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, MissouriThe opener was played on a bright Saturday afternoon at Royals Stadium and pitted Yankee ace Jim “Catfish” Hunter against left-hander and ex-Yankee Larry Gura. The Yankees got off to a quick start scoring two in the first...
. The Royals came back to win the next game on October 10, 6–3, for their first post-season win in Royals Stadium.
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
game held in Kansas City featured the hometown Royals
1980 Kansas City Royals season
The 1980 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. The Royals finished first in the American League West with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses...
against the Philadelphia Phillies
1980 Philadelphia Phillies season
The 1980 Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in American baseball. The team finished with a regular-season record of 91 wins and 71 losses, which was good enough to regain the National League East title by just one game over the Montreal Expos...
. In his first at-bat, George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...
hit a home run down the right field line. The Royals would go on to record their first-ever World Series win, 4–3 in 10 innings. However, the Royals would lose the World Series that year in six games.
On October 11, 1985, in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series
1985 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 8, 1985 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, OntarioThe Toronto Blue Jays entered the series as the favorite to win the series. The first game featured Toronto pitcher Dave Stieb and Kansas City pitcher Charlie Leibrandt at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto...
, George Brett hit two home runs off Toronto Blue Jays
1985 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays season saw the Blue Jays finishing first in the American League East with a record of 99 wins and 62 losses. The win total of 99 is a franchise record, and the division title was the franchise's first....
pitcher Doyle Alexander
Doyle Alexander
Doyle Lafayette Alexander is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, and Detroit Tigers...
, made a back-handed stop at third base to throw out a runner at home, and recorded the final out to give the Royals
1985 Kansas City Royals season
The 1985 Kansas City Royals season ended with the Royals' first world championship win over their intrastate rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals won the Western Division of the American League for the second consecutive season and the sixth time in ten years...
a much-needed 6–5 win. The Royals went on to win the American League pennant in seven games.
On October 27 of that same year, the Royals clinched their first World Series
1985 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 19, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri-Game 2:Sunday, October 20, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri...
title in franchise history, winning Game 7 in Royals Stadium. Led by the pitching of Bret Saberhagen
Bret Saberhagen
Bret William Saberhagen is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher.-Early years:Bret Saberhagen attended Grover Cleveland High School, located in Reseda, California. Saberhagen starred in both basketball and baseball...
, Darryl Motley
Darryl Motley
Darryl DeWayne Motley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played six seasons for the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves between and . In his MLB career, Motley played in 413 games, hit 44 home runs, 324 hits, 159 RBIs, and batted .243...
's two-run home run, and George Brett's four hits, the Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals
1985 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 1985 season was the team's 104th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 94th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 101-61 during the season and finished in first place in the National League East division by three games over the New York Mets...
11–0. The Royals were the first team in the history of the World Series to lose the first two games of the series at home and come back to win.
On June 16, 2010, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
announced that Kauffman Stadium has been awarded the 2012 MLB All-Star game.
Features
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
era, and is one of two such facilities (Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
is the other) that are still active and were never converted for use as multi-purpose stadiums.
Although it is a baseball-only facility, its design took several stylistic cues from the multi-purpose stadiums of the day. The main stadium itself is primarily concrete, with a smooth, uncovered concrete facade. The stands wrap around the infield and end at the foul poles, with smaller bleacher sections (or "outfield plazas," as the Royals call them) in the outfield. In their book, The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip, Josh Pahigaian and Kevin O'Connell described it as one-third of a cookie-cutter stadium. The upper deck is quite steep, though not as high as other parks built during this time. Many minor-league stadiums built in the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field is a baseball ballpark in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, it is the home of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball's American League. The park opened for the 1991 season, after the White Sox had spent 81 years at old Comiskey Park...
in Chicago
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, employ a similar design.
The sight lines are generally very good; the only seriously obstructed views are in the outfield plazas, where some seats are directly behind the foul poles. Many of the seats in the two view levels are almost as high as comparable seats in cookie-cutter stadiums, especially in the back rows. Most of the seats are on the first level, putting most of the fans very close to the action.
By 2000
2000 Major League Baseball season
The 2000 Major League Baseball season ended with the New York Yankees defeating the New York Mets in Game 5 of the World Series, known as the Subway Series because fans could take the Subway to and from every game of the Series. An all-time record 5,693 home runs were hit during the regular season...
, all of the seats were replaced by blue seats, the lower section seating also getting cupholders.
The park's best-known feature is the fountain and waterfall display (known as the Water Spectacular) behind the right-field fence. At 322 feet, it is the largest privately-funded fountain in the world. The fountains are on display before and after the game and in-between innings, while the waterfalls are constantly flowing.
When the stadium was originally built, Kansas City was the westernmost major league city other than those along the Pacific Coast (1,600 miles away), which was a major reason why the Royals initially decided to use a faster-draining AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
surface. The Royals' home territory included a large swath of the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
and Rockies
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, and Kauffman didn't want fans who drove many hundreds of miles to go home without seeing the game completed. The Truman Sports Complex's legendary groundskeeper, George Toma, best known as the head groundskeeper for every Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, thus had the ironic job of maintaining two carpets for most of his career, along with the surface of Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
, which had AstroTurf from 1972 through 1993.
The arrival of the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, however, removed virtually all of the western portion of the Royals' once-vast home territory. Also in 1995, the stadium's turf was replaced by grass for the season
1995 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Atlanta Braves over Cleveland Indians ; Tom Glavine, MVP*All-Star Game, July 11 at The Ballpark in Arlington: National League, 3-2; Jeff Conine, MVP-Other champions:...
. When the Royals ripped out the turf, 4 inch perforated tile was installed at 12.5-foot centers across the entire field. As a result, the current grass field drains very well. Many newer facilities (and some older facilities through retrofitting) have similar drainage systems to minimize downtime after rain delays.
Renovations
On April 4, 2006, Jackson County, MissouriJackson County, Missouri
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...
voters approved a 0.375-percentage point sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
increase to fund plans to renovate the Truman Sports Complex. The construction began with a ceremonial groundbreaking inside Kauffman Stadium on October 3, 2007, with completion of Kauffman Stadium in time for Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
in 2009
2009 Major League Baseball season
The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on Sunday, April 5, 2009 with the Atlanta Braves defeating the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies 4–1. The regular season ended on October 6, extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins to...
, and full renovation of the complex (including nearby Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
) by 2010, depending upon cost overruns. The team committed to a lease that will keep them in Kansas City until 2030, an extension of their current lease expiration of 2015.
The improvements to Kauffman Stadium included the following:
- Reducing capacity to 37,903
- New high definition scoreboard, dubbed "Crown Vision" and control room
- Fountain view terraces
- Outfield concourse
- Kids' area
- Taste of KC
- Right field sports bar-themed restaurant
- Left field hall of fame and conference center
- New group sales areas
- Wider concourses
- New and upgraded concession and toilet amenities on all concourses
- Enhanced vertical circulation to all levels
- Four new entry ticket gates
- New press facilities
The new high-definition scoreboard from Daktronics
Daktronics
Daktronics is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video board, scoreboards, digital billboards and related products. The company is best known for its electronic LED displays...
of Brookings, South Dakota
Brookings, South Dakota
Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is the fourth largest city in South Dakota, with a population of 22,056 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County, and home to South Dakota State University, the largest institution of higher...
was one of the first features to be installed. It replaced both the old matrix board in the shape of the Royals logo that had been in the park since its opening, along with the video board that had been installed in 1989. The new scoreboard was ready for Opening Day 2008
2008 Major League Baseball season
The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome 6–5 in the first game of a two-game series, and ended on September 30 with the host Chicago White Sox defeating the...
. It is 84 ft. wide and 105 ft. tall, and was, at the time it entered service, the largest high-definition LED display in the world. The display was assembled in 55 separate segments, including an active bottom taper to resemble the shield in the Royals logo. The video scoreboard alone cost $8.3 million, and the control room that operates it is staffed with 17 people on game days. It was adorned with a crown during the 2008 offseason. Strobe lights atop the scoreboard flash after every Royals home run.
Also, since this measure passed, MLB has announced that Kauffman Stadium will host the MLB All-Star Game in 2012. As part of this measure, every Jackson County
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...
residential address will receive vouchers good for 50% off two tickets at Royals games on certain nights.
A second proposal on the April 2006 ballot would have installed a rolling roof at the Truman Sports Complex
Truman Sports Complex
The Harry S. Truman Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.. It is home to two major sports venues- Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, and Kauffman Stadium, home of Major League Baseball's Kansas City...
. The roof could have been moved to cover either Kauffman Stadium or Arrowhead Stadium when needed. The measure failed at the polls.
Buck O'Neil legacy seat
Beginning with the 2007 season2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
, the Royals had a red seat placed in the stadium amongst the all-blue seats behind home plate to honor Buck O'Neil
Buck O'Neil
John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil was a first baseman and manager in the Negro American League, mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs. After his playing days, he worked as a scout, and became the first African American coach in Major League Baseball...
. There will be a person selected every game from community nominees to sit in that seat, formerly occupied by O'Neil behind home plate in what was Section 101, Row C, Seat 1, until 2008 who embodies the spirit of Buck O'Neil. Due to the renovations and section renumbering in 2009 the seat number is now Section 127, Seat 9, Row C and the seat bottom is now padded.