Ultimate Baseball Road Trip (56 page)

Josh:
Either the rules are the same for everyone or they’re not really rules.

Kevin:
That’s what I’ve been saying about the DH rule since the ’70s.

Although the A’s didn’t win too many games, local fans were treated to some special moments during their time in town. Early Wynn got a win late in his career, as the Indians
hurler notched victory number three hundred at Municipal Stadium on July 13, 1963. With the W, Wynn became the second pitcher to finish his career with exactly 300 wins, joining Lefty Grove. The Municipal Stadium fans witnessed another rarity on September 8, 1965, when shortstop Bert Campaneris played all nine positions in a game against the Angels.

Kevin:
Hey, nine positions, nine innings.

Josh:
Think that was a marketing ploy?

Kevin:
I guess Finley got desperate toward the end.

Later that September, fifty-nine-year-old Satchel Paige pitched three shutout innings for the Royals against the Red Sox. The appearance, which came twelve years after the former Negro Leagues star had retired from Major League Baseball, made Paige the oldest player to ever appear in an official game. It also made him eligible to receive a big league pension.

When the Royals arrived in 1969, they won their first game at Municipal in extra innings over the eventual AL West division champion Twins. The Royals finished in fourth place in the six-team AL West that year, besting the White Sox and their fellow expansion brothers, the Pilots. Left fielder Lou Piniella won Rookie of the Year honors to cap that first campaign, batting .282 with eleven HRs and sixty-eight RBIs.

Kevin:
I guess it wasn’t a great year for rookies.

Josh:
Don’t forget, it was a pitcher’s game back then.

The real celebrations for the Royals would come at Kauffman Stadium, which opened in time for the 1973 season. Who can forget Cookie Rojas and Fred Patek jumping into the water fountain after clinching the 1976 AL West title? But it’s difficult to think of the Royals’ success without thinking of their teams of the 1980s that were led by third baseman George Brett. After losing three straight AL Championship Series to the Yankees in 1976, 1977, and 1978, the Royals faced their arch nemeses again in 1980. That season Brett pursued the mythical .400 mark with a vigor few had exhibited since 1941 when Ted Williams hit .406. Though he would finish with a batting average of .390, Brett kept fans across the country checking the box scores at the breakfast table through September. And Brett gave folks something to talk about in October. His seventh inning homer off Goose Gossage at Yankee Stadium capped a three game sweep to lift the Royals into the World Series. After dropping the first two games against the Phillies, the Royals won the next two at home, before bowing in six.

The Royals returned to the October Classic in 1985 and this time would not be denied, not even by the neighboring St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals had won 91 regular season games that year, while their in-state peers had racked up 101. But aided by a blown call by the men in blue the Royals overcame a brush with mortality in Game Six to stave off elimination. First base umpire Don Denkinger ruled Jorge Orta safe at first, when replays showed he was clearly out. Then the Royals rallied to score two runs and tie the series at three games apiece. Bret Saberhagen tossed a five-hit shutout in Game 7 to lead the Royals to an 11–0 win. Afterwards, the twenty-year-old pitcher was named Series MVP. Then, a few weeks later, he was named the AL Cy Young.

Were the Royals cursed after winning a Series they probably would have lost if fate hadn’t intervened on their behalf? We can’t say for sure. But it’s noteworthy that as of this book’s publication date they hadn’t returned to baseball’s post-season in three decades since the series Denkinger helped deliver.

On July 2, 1993, Royals Stadium was renamed Kauffman Stadium, in honor of the only owner in franchise history. A month later Ewing Kauffman lost his bout with cancer at age seventy-six. Kauffman had provided the club with a vision and a winning attitude and had helped guide the Royals from an expansion team to a World Series winner. His mark on Kauffman Stadium goes much deeper than
merely his name though. He etched out a beautiful ballpark in countrified Kansas City at a time when bland cookie-cutters were being built elsewhere. Unlike all of its contemporary stadiums, Kauffman Stadium still stands, some forty years after its opening, following no trends, and showcasing small market baseball at its very best.

After attendance peaked in the late 1980s when the Royals were drawing 2.5 million fans per season, the club has struggled to sell savvy Midwestern fans on the imperative of turning out to watch a losing team. Throughout the entire first decade of the 2000s, the Royals failed to top the 1.8 million mark in a single season, which wouldn’t be bad if this were forty years ago but isn’t good enough to support a winning team in the twenty-first century. More than half of the seats in the park are on the first level. Practically, this means that getting a decent seat won’t be a problem even if you wait until game day. But the Royals offer a considerable discount to those who buy advanced tickets rather than walk-ups. So we advise buying your tickets ahead of time to save a few dollars.

There are three different decks. The lower bowl includes 100 Level seats below an interior walkway and 200 Level seats above it. The second deck, which includes 300 Level seats and luxury suites, is called the Loge. The third deck, which houses the 400 Level seats, is called the Hy-Vee. While you might think this stands for “High View,” it is actually a tip of the cap to a Midwestern retail chain. The team and store have had a partnership since 2001. Well, we suppose most other cities have sold the name to their
entire
stadium to corporate interests by now, so a mere level isn’t that bad.

Josh:
“Special K Stadium” has a nice ring to it.

Kevin:
It would give Coco Crisp a place to play.

Josh:
Or Zach Wheat.

Kevin:
Yeah, especially if Sean Berry and Darryl Strawberry could join him.

Rather than numbering the sections so that Sections 100, 200 and 300 appear directly behind the plate, as some teams do, the Royals start the lower three levels with the lowest numbered section in deep left field. Then each level wraps around the infield before heading out to the highest numbered section in deep right field.

It seems excessive for a team like the Royals to have three different categories of luxury seating behind the plate, but we guess the small market teams have to make their money where they can. These are great seats but for a heck of a lot less money you can do pretty well sitting on either side of them.

Perhaps the best deal in Major League Baseball, these seats are highly affordable for road trippers. They’re located below the midlevel concourse, and the views are superb. Sections 116 to 125 run behind the visitors’ dugout along the third-base line. Sections 130 to 139 run behind the Royals dugout on the first-base line. These are comfortable, padded seats and we can think of very few other places where we’d rather rest our weary behinds after weeks on the road.

We mentioned it above, but just to remind you, the Plaza/200 Level seats appear above the midlevel walkway. While still decent infield seats and a good deal for the money, we can’t help but think that if you’ve got seven extra dollars you’ll be happier in the Dugout Boxes.

These boxes run from the corner bases down to the foul poles. They offer solid views from below the midlevel concourse. The gentle curvature of the ballpark keeps them pointed toward the action. For this reason and because we
especially liked the atmosphere on the third-base side (107–115), we prefer these seats over the Dugout Plaza, which actually cost a few bucks more. Those fans who like having the chance of snagging a home run ball looming as a remote possibility should head for Sections 107–109, which are on the fair side of the pole in left, or Sections 146–148 in right. Otherwise, you’d be wise to aim for Sections 113, 114, 140 or 141, which are the cream of the crop in this tier.

The same that is true for the Dugout Plaza is true for the Field Plaza, only the seats are that much worse because they’re farther from the field. Don’t get us wrong, these are still decent seats, it’s just that only a few bucks more will situate you on the other side of the mid-level walkway. So why not make that small investment in a majorly enhanced view?

During the last renovation the Royals added outfield seats to “The K.” In right field, high above the field, Sections 250–253 are situated between Rivals—the stadium sports pub—and the Royals bullpen. These are nice seats from which to appreciate the fountain. In left, Sections 104–106 sit perched above the visitors’ bullpen and Sections 101–103 are beside the bullpen in the left-center power alley. Behind these seats are Sections 201–203.

If you’ve been to Kauffman before and for the sake of trying something new would like to take in a game from an outfield vantage point, we recommend Sections 101–103. Otherwise, we say shoot for an infield seat instead.

The very best real estate on this narrow second deck houses the Triple Crown Suites. Unless you have a connection within the Kansas City business community or your last name is Buffett (Warren, not Jimmy), expect these luxury suites to be off-limits. But on either side of this behind-the-plate high-end district are some seats that are open for you to enjoy. Sections 301 to 311 run from just past third base to the visitor’s on-deck circle, while Sections 312–325 run from the home on-deck circle out to medium depth right field. Since the seats extend farther on the right-field side, the worst seats in this range are in Sections 323 to 325. We preferred the first level seats (don’t we always?) but the Loge is a nice option on a rainy night when you’d like an overhang to keep you dry.

These seats are the best the upper deck has to offer, located along the railing. Because the Loge Level is a small one the seats aren’t as high as in many other parks. Section 400 is right behind the plate and offers a nice view of the field and outfield view. The upper deck is a bit steep and with all of its concourse ramps it’s not too easy to navigate for seat-hoppers or guidebook writers.

Josh:
How come I always have to be the one who scopes out the upper level?

Kevin:
You’re like a mountain goat. You thrive at high altitudes.

Josh:
Back at the hotel you said I thrived with spiders too … then it bit me when I tried to get it out of your shaving case.

Kevin:
We’ve got to play to our strengths. Now get up there and finish that Hy-Vee. I’ve got food to sample down here.

Though there are almost no underhang issues, these seats are not recommended. As intimate as Kauffman is throughout most of the park, these seats will not provide that type of desired effect, especially in the upper rows. The park takes on a decided cookie-cutter upper-level feel in the top rows. Josh was sorry he’d ventured into this part of the park as it almost started to remind him of the upper level at old Shea Stadium.

The only way we can recommend these seats is if budget is your only concern. Use them to get into the park on the cheap, if you must. They reminded us of sitting out on the wings of an airplane. At the extreme ends the lighting is rather dim. It feels like watching a concert in the dark, so if you seek a private place to roll a fatty or to do some serious necking with your gal, this might be the place for you. Otherwise, we can’t imagine why it would be.