Fans Rightfully Still Need Convincing on New Stadium Plan
The Kansas City Royals are moving downtown — that is nearly a certainty at this point. But fans have no reason to be jumping for joy as the team's listening tour began on Tuesday, Dec. 13. While team Chairman and CEO John Sherman satiated some by committing to keeping the team in Kansas City, MO, there is one way to make more fans happier.
Invest in the 2023 payroll and try to field a winning baseball team.
Winning fixes a lot of problems. The dark 2000s memories of Royals baseball were quickly forgotten once the team started winning games a decade later. Many, including myself, forget how Kansas City became a baseball town again during those years. My own parents, who had never attended a Royals game, nearly attended a 2014 World Series game, three-hour drive and all. The ripple effect that successful baseball has locally is still mind-boggling.
Maybe it is so astounding because those good years ended as quickly as they began. The never-ending rebuild since 2017 has worn fans down. The team's outlook does look promising, with a slew of young talent filling the 40-man roster in 2023. But the Royals are nowhere closer to contention today than they were yesterday. That is why Sherman surprised many with his open letter regarding the Royals moving out of Kauffman Stadium.
Put the nostalgia, fountains, and iconic scoreboard aside. The very first question Sherman and his team received on Tuesday showed where fans' priorities lie:
"Why does a perpetually last-place team deserve a new $2 billion stadium?"
The truth hurts, and that is a truthful question.
Fans are right to ask that question. Sherman responded that the team tried to "accelerate our growth and our development" by acquiring players like Andrew Benintendi, Carlos Santana, and Michael A. Taylor. Really? Those players moved the needle, sure, but they were far from franchise-changing moves. Referring to those three players was only aggravated by Kansas City's then-lack of any moves in free agency.
"When the time is right, we’re going to invest very, very significantly to win on the field," Sherman said. Why is that time not now? If not for improving the team, then to try and win over fans. Make an effort.
Plus, the Royals continue to say that the $2B stadium and surrounding district would come mostly from private capital. Sherman did nothing to quell the common sense follow-up questions: How will that affect ticket prices? Will the team hold back on contract spending in the name of the new stadium? Will taxes really not be impacted? All that — and more — remains unanswered.
All the details and planning about this replacement are still in the early stages. With that said, the whole process will go easier and smoother if fans are on board. The Royals can get fans on board with having the answers that affect them, both as fans and as taxpayers. The listening tour's first stop was bumpy and did not improve fans' approval of a new stadium. Hopefully, Sherman and his team will regroup before the next event and realize their fanbase needs some answers.
