Royals fans sound off on John Sherman’s letter regarding potential downtown ballpark
Two billion dollars.
That’s the projected price tag Royals owner John Sherman envisions for “a world-class ballpark that stays competitive with our peers nationwide” along with a proposed “ballpark district.”
That future stadium and district most likely would be downtown, meaning the Royals would likely leave Kauffman Stadium and the Truman Sports Complex when the team’s lease expires in 2030.
Sherman revealed that and more in an open letter to Royals fans the team shared Tuesday afternoon. That unsurprisingly led to quite a bit of reaction from Royals fans.
Some like the idea, but many don’t, and the negative feelings stemmed from the price tag, the need to keep tailgating, and concerns about traffic and parking.
Here’s a sample of what was said on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.
“Driving and parking downtown is a nightmare. Add a sports complex to the mix and it will be even worse,” wrote a fan on Facebook. “Good luck, Royals. I have a feeling you are going to have a lot of upset fans if this happens.”
Another wrote: “Such great news! Let’s Gooo!!”
How about NO. Downtown is not setup for this, nor can/will it be anytime soon.
Don't get me wrong, downtown is evolving and in a good way. Don't need you screwing it up by getting in the middle of it.
Mr. Kauffman would roll over in his grave.— (@mattthorne) November 15, 2022
In addition, how do they expect this to be financed? A new stadium appears unnecessary based on arguments while a renovation could be argued for. If the Royals threaten to move then that’s what they always wanted.
— Andrew S. Crick (@AndrewSCrick) November 15, 2022
A fan on Reddit wrote: “Oh wow, transparency? That’s new! This is great and I’m happy there are plans in place. That’s all any of us have ever asked for. Some sort of trajectory we can all count on. Finally.”
Another shared this: “DONT KILL KAUFFMAN PLEASE!!!!”
Right after one of the worst attendance years in the past 50. Seems like the perfect time to roll out a $2 billion new stadium.
— Ryan Williams (@Bigredremo18) November 16, 2022
Gonna hit Jackson County up for most of $2 billion for a new stadium? Good luck with that one!
— bkParallax (@bkparallax) November 15, 2022
“No tailgating. No families or elderly people want to go downtown. No real public transportation. Wrong for KC!!!” a fan wrote on Facebook.
Another wrote: “Absolutely the best decision for the Royals as well as the Chiefs. Now both can develop stadiums that have entertainment districts like every other sports franchise in the US. A great day for the two franchises that make KC a big league town and for the continuing development of the metro area.”
Is there a dislike button. I love the K and tailgating is a part of KC. Where we gonna tailgate
— Spencer Scheve (@SpencerScheve) November 15, 2022
Great news! Love it!
— Brandon (@Brandon_Bray) November 15, 2022
A fan on Reddit wrote: “It’s early, but I’m excited.”
“Shoulda done it 20 years ago,” another wrote.
one of the best things about Denver is Coors downtown. changes the dynamic of a downtown area. so the Royals have a blueprint to do it right if they want to take notes
— Connor Cape (@MileHighCape) November 15, 2022
Not at all, I was all for a new airport. The old was ugly, tiny, not enough restrooms, not enough food options. Kauffman is the opposite of that, it's a top 10 ballpark that doesn't need to be replaced.
— beemop (@beemop) November 16, 2022
A fan on Facebook shared this: “As a fan of 50 yrs. When they move outta the K is the day I stop supporting the royals. Wrigley Fenway has stood the test of time and so will the K. Bigger newer and more high tech isn’t always better.”
Another wrote: “Downtown baseball sounds fantastic. Please bring the crownvision to the new park.”
They specifically said they'll be including the crown vision in the letter. It'll be fine.
— wesmoodykc@mas.to (@WesMoodyKC) November 16, 2022
So the people that currently travel to games don’t stay in local hotels and eat at restaurants? Just because those businesses aren’t next door to the stadium doesn’t mean that businesses in town don’t benefit from the stadiums in their current location.
— BrettCurry (@brettcurry727) November 16, 2022
A fan on Reddit shared this: “This is the right thing to do. It objectively sucks in a lot of ways, mostly the tailgating implications, but also the history of the K. But a downtown ball park that shows off the city on television a lot better, is better connected economically and culturally to the city, and could potentially lead to an increase in market size is the smart move for sure. Hopefully the new stadium is cool and I wouldn’t mind it being a little smaller for the dingers”
Another wrote: “Hard pass. Pay for it with your own money or a bi-state tax.”
If wants to pay for it, great. If he wants us to pay for it, he better include free parking and a winning team in the deal.
— Blake Whorton (@WhortonBlake) November 15, 2022
I didn't want the Royals to move to downtown, but now that it seems inevitable I'm open to whatever keeps the Royals where they belong - in Kansas City, Missouri
— P_Blue (@blue8705) November 15, 2022
