Is This Ballpark Better Than Kauffman Stadium?

Now that the Kansas City Royals have made it known the future home of the team will be in the heart of Kansas City, in the Crossroads neighborhood on the site of the Kansas City Star's Printing Press building. It's time to get serious about the new ballpark.

Get our free mobile app

The question John Sherman, Jackson County Executive Frank White, Kansas City area politicians, and the Royals stadium design team better start asking is: Is this ballpark better than Kauffman Stadium? Or more pointedly, will the average Kansas City baseball fan think this ballpark is better than The K?

That's the entire ballgame right there. If it's not, and most fans are meh about the experience, then forget about a shiny new stadium, the downtown location, Sherman's ballpark district, or anything along those lines making a difference. It may not be a difference-maker anyway, considering Royals fans tend to not go to games when the ballclub is bad.

Yet, think about it. What if Bobby Whitt is a bust? What if the Kansas City Royals continue to be a mediocre to bad ballclub for years and decades to come? Then on top of it, you build a ballpark that fails to meet expectations? I'll tell you what happens. You have a team no one cares about playing in a ballpark no one cares about, that many have a built-in excuse to avoid.

So what do you think about this rendering?

This may be the best of the bunch. I like that they kept the fountains, any new ballpark the Royals build needs fountains. It's synonymous with the franchise, but it's also what Kansas City is known for. I don't like losing the scoreboard in the shape of the team's logo with the crown at the top. That's another "must have" if you ask me.

The cityscape behind the stadium's outfield is OK, it'll look nice on television, although, honestly I don't think there's anything wrong with how Kauffman Stadium looks on TV. Not to mention, at this point, every televised game from every city uses a b-roll that highlights the city's landmarks regardless of how close or far they are from the stadium.

What about these renderings?

I'll admit they're not bad. The walkway between T-Mobile Center and the ballpark will look great in ariel shots and could look interesting, perhaps, from the ground.

I like the outfield bleacher seats too, those very well could be a fun unique feature of the new ballpark. Yet could the bleachers in left be a little too much of a good thing? They'll look awful if they're only a third full. It also seems there are an awful lot of seats that aren't under some type of roof to protect fans from the elements. Like rain, for one thing. Sun, for another. That's no good if you're a fan.

The two shots of the roof give the stadium somewhat of a 21st-century Wrigley Field vibe, yet it's not Wrigley Field or Fenway Park. Neither is it Camden Yards, the unique stadium that kicked off the retro stadium boom 30 years ago.

This leads me to a question, what are these renderings supposed to evoke? If they're supposed to get me excited about a new ballpark, which they should. They don't. I see potential here. But, the White Sox saw potential when they were promised a ballpark that evoked characteristics of our beautiful Kauffman Stadium.

Sox fans didn't get that. They got a stadium that looked vaguely like Kauffman Stadium without the cham whose view beyond the center field wall was a housing project a block away. Did I mention that the team, along with the Illinois Sports Authority has spent the past 30 years trying to make it a more palatable experience for Chicago baseball fans?

The Royals, Chiefs, and Jackson County got it right 50 years ago when they built the Truman Sports Complex. Now the Royals and Jackson County have to get it right for the next 50 years. These renderings show some promise, but I don't think they have it nailed yet. At least not for this fan.

I'm from Missouri so you need to show me. So far John Sherman hasn't shown me he wants to field a winning team or build a ballpark better than The K. Both are problems if you're a Royals fan.