Ultimate Baseball Road Trip (57 page)

Being that Kauffman Stadium is the premier example of baseball in America’s rustic Midwest, it is fitting that the park is surrounded primarily by pasture. Or the modern form of pasture—parking lots. Kauffman Stadium is part of the Truman Sports Complex and shares its lots with Arrowhead Stadium. But there is some grass out beyond left field too. One
major downfall of this park is that there are no restaurants or bars nearby. Some would say that this is a plus since a strong tailgating culture has developed in response. Pregame parties take on the local flavor: ribs, steaks, and bratwursts.

Unless you like walking long distances in highway break-down lanes—which we don’t advise and which we’re pretty sure is illegal—you’ll be driving to “The K.” There is no public transportation servicing Kauffman Stadium. But don’t worry, this is probably the easiest “driving park” in the bigs. From the north or south, take Interstate 435 to Exit 63B, the Sports Complex exit. From the east or west, take Interstate 70 to Exit 9, the Blue-Ridge Cutoff/Sports Complex exit. Passersby on Interstate 70 are treated to a quick view into the ballpark. We found the parking scene well managed and affordable at $10.

As part of the last renovation the aesthetic appeal of the main entrance was greatly enhanced. Where once there was concrete, concrete, and … (wait for it) … more concrete, now there is an attractive brick plaza outside Gate A. Looking down, visitors find messages that local fans have contributed through the Legacy Brick charitable program. Looking up, they are met by an architecturally unique façade that lights up Royals blue at night. We found this delightful.

Unless you’re a football traveler too, this might be the closest you ever get to the home of the Chiefs, which opened in 1972. Hey, it’s worth at least snapping a photo or two, isn’t it?

1616 East 18th St.

www.nlbm.com/

There may be no other baseball-related attraction as worthy of a visit during your road trip as the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. It began as a labor of love in the 1990s as the great Buck O’Neil and other former Kansas City Monarchs began assembling mementos from their careers. Until permanent funding was secured, these trailblazing men paid the monthly rent for the building that since 1997 has held the Museum and the Jazz Hall of Fame. Here, visitors celebrate a league that was as ripe with talent as the Major Leagues.

The self-guided tour traces the history of the game and of American race relations. The photograph- and artifact-laden chronology begins with an exhibit devoted to baseball’s earliest years, immediately following the Civil War. Then it examines the experiences of a largely unknown cast of African American pioneers that integrated baseball at the semi-pro, college, and professional levels in the 1880s and 1890s. Next, an exhibit explores the “gentlemen’s agreement” that unofficially banned blacks from the Majors at the turn of the century, and to the barnstorming teams of black stars that formed as a result.

The next section of the Museum, devoted to the founding and 40-year history of the Negro Leagues, is the largest. It tells the stories of how the Negro National League was founded, of how night baseball debuted in the Negro Leagues in the 1930s, of how the Negro Leagues experienced a renaissance during the Great Depression, of how Satchel Paige became the most famous Negro League star of them all, of how black baseball spread to Mexico, and more. Next, are exhibits related to the integration of the major leagues and to the eventual dissolution of the Negro Leagues.

Visitors end their tour by walking onto a replica baseball diamond. The Field of Legends is home to life-sized statues that portray some of the best Negro Leaguers ever to play the game. The bronzes include Rube Foster, O’Neil, Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Pop Lloyd, Judy Johnson, Ray Dandridge, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston, Leon Day and Martin Dihigo. Among this group, O’Neil is the only player not also honored with a plaque at the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. Many within the baseball establishment consider this oversight a travesty, but O’Neil never shed any tears on his own behalf. He was happy to keep telling stories about the great Negro Leagues players
and the teams he competed against, and he turned out at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum regularly in his later years to share his love of the game with others.

Unless Denny’s or the sports bar in the Howard Johnson’s lobby sound good to you, you’ll need to get in your car and drive to one of the many great places to eat and drink in Kansas City. Prior to the game, we recommend enjoying one of the best tailgating scenes in baseball, then after the game head for a steakhouse or saloon.

323 Armour Rd., North Kansas City

www.chappellsrestaurant.com/chappells/

Just fifteen minutes north of Kaufman Stadium, fans find the largest collection of sports memorabilia in any bar in America. Since opening in 1986, Chappell’s has steadily expanded so that it now boasts more than ten thousand items. Back in the day, owner Jim Chappell was a friend of Charlie Finley. Today, Mr. Chappell leads visitors from wall to wall, providing information on his treasures. These include the 1974 World Series trophy, which was a keepsake from Finley, who apparently had trophies to spare after his Oakland A’s won their third in a row. There are baseballs autographed by Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Dizzy Dean and dozens more, vintage uniforms, a beautiful Leroy Nieman painting of George Brett, and Chesterfield cigarette posters of Ted Williams and Stan Musial. You should arrive early, order a beer or soda, and walk around for a while before settling at a table for dinner. Tell Jim that his friends Josh and Kevin sent you, and you’ll get the extra-special treatment and maybe even a guided tour.

1227 W. 103rd St.

This popular bar boasts a slew of TVs. Aside from watching about a dozen games at once when we visited, we also enjoyed putting on a show for the locals in the National Trivia Network game. Then when the music started up at about ten o’clock, we sat back and watched the joint turn into a meat-market for middle-aged suburbanites.

5424 Troost Ave.

www.mikestavern1964.com

By day Mike’s is a fairly average local bar, but at night it turns into a hangout for the college kids from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. If you fit into this demographic, Mike’s might be the place for you.

1015 E. 85th

www.stroudsrestaurant.com/

If fried chicken is your thing, then Stroud’s may be the best you’ll find on the American road. Pan fried to golden brown, and then baked the rest of the way, we found this fowl deliciously crisp and juicy. Serving family-style, Stroud’s provides heaping portions of chicken, potatoes, green beans, and cinnamon rolls to fill you up. Though not the cheapest place we visited in our travels, it was one of the best.

There are numerous places to get a prime cut in Kansas City. The two we sampled and can personally recommend are
The Golden Ox
(1600 Genessee) and
The Hereford House
(8661 N. Stoddard Ave). We loved the names almost as much as the beef and although we drove out of town with spiking cholesterol levels, it was well worth it.

The best “Q” we sampled on our trip was in Kansas City. Sorry, Atlanta. Sorry, St. Louis. But KC has you beat. Local landmark
Arthur Bryant’s
(1727 Brooklyn St.) is a must-visit. The ribs come piping hot and with a side of bread—nearly a whole loaf—to soak up the juice, plus beans and fries. Located just four blocks from the location of old Municipal Stadium, Bryant’s is also right near the Negro Leagues Museum.

With its several locations,
Gates Bar-B-Q
(1026 State Ave.; 1325 East Emanuel Cleaver Blvd.; 1221 Brooklyn St.; 3205 Main St.) is another local fave that even sells bottles of its own sauce for tailgating use later on your trip.

And finally, there’s
Oklahoma Joe’s
(3002 W. 47th Ave.), which dishes ’cue out of an old gas station.

The neighborhood of 18th and Vine was once among the most vibrant in the city and was a jewel of African American culture. With a ballgame going on at Municipal Stadium (22nd and Brooklyn) and all that jazz, the excitement was palpable. Jesse Fisher once said, “If you came to Kansas City on a Saturday night it was like trying to walk through Harlem when there was a parade. It was really something to see. Everybody that was everybody was at 18th and Vine.”

Today, blues and jazz are still on the menu in this part of town. We recommend
The Blue Room
(1600 E. 18th) and
The Gem Theatre
(1615 E. 18th), which both are easily spotted from the Negro Leagues Museum. In addition,
The Grand Emporium
(3832 Main St.) is considered by many to be the best blues bar in America.

While they’ve been imitated at other parks, the idyllic fountains and waterfall in Kansas City have never been duplicated. But what would you expect in the City of Fountains? Designed by Ewing Kauffman himself, the fountain runs behind the right-field fence and into center for an incredible 322 feet, making it the largest publicly funded fountain in the world. A ten-foot-high waterfall flows from an upper pool down to two lower pools that feed the fountains. At night, colored lights shine on the water between innings, providing a backdrop for the game that is as tranquil as it is in daylight. Now, thanks to the renovation, fans once left to admire the waterworks from afar can walk up close to enjoy them.

Above the water spectacular beyond the center-field fence, the twelve-story scoreboard tower stands in the shape of the Royals Crest, topped with a crown. Adorned with lights that illuminate the night like crowned jewels, this scoreboard perfectly caps the design of the outfield, and makes for one of the most recognizable and beautiful backdrops in baseball. Bo Jackson’s first Major League home run, hit off Seattle’s Mike Moore, was the longest dinger in Kauffman Stadium history. The 475-foot shot clanked off the scoreboard on September 14, 1986.

Appearing on the face of the Royals Hall of Fame in left field are the Royals’ retired numbers. From left to right these read 42, 20, 10 and 5. Jackie Robinson’s universally retired No. 42 appears in blue, set off from the others behind the foul pole. In Kansas City No. 42 has an even more special significance than in most baseball cities because Robinson once played for the Kansas City Monarchs. Appearing in off-white on the fair side of the foul pole, No. 20 honors Frank White, No. 10 honors Dick Howser and No. 5 honors George Brett.

Robinson’s old friend Buck O’Neil was a Kansas City icon from his playing/managing days until his death in 2006. He became a household name throughout the country, of course, thanks to his stage-stealing role in Ken Burns’ wonderful PBS documentary
Baseball
. The Royals honor the old Kansas City Monarch with one red seat among a sea of blue ones in Section 127 behind the plate.

Fans will find statues of Brett, White and Howser on the outfield plaza. Howser was the Royals manager when they won their only World Championship. His likeness kneels down on one knee. White was a defensive whiz at second base for the Royals. His statue makes a throw to turn a double play. And Brett crouches in his familiar batting stance.

The story of George Brett’s career is the story of the Kansas City Royals. Few players in the modern era have
shown more loyalty to a city or made their name more synonymous with its team. You think of Ted Williams, you think Boston. You think of Stan Musial, you think St. Louis. You think George Brett, you think KC.