Kansas City, Missouri, had seen plenty of teams settle for a few years and then move on to another town before the Royals arrived in 1968. Thanks to receiving one of four new expansion teams, Kansas City was finally a permanent home of a Major League Baseball franchise, which initially began play in Kansas City Municipal Stadium. The grand old ballpark, which had been built in 1923 and housed four different teams, hosted the Royals from 1968-1972. In 1973, the Royals moved into their new ballpark, Royals Stadium, which would later be renamed Kauffman Stadium in honor of the longtime owner Ewing M. Kauffman, who worked tirelessly to bring professional baseball back to Kansas City.
Sharing a complex with the NFL's Arrowhead Stadium, Kauffman Stadium is one of the most fan-friendly venues in all of American sports with plenty of parking, access to public transportation and a slew of modern amenities. One of the distinguishing features of the ballpark is the 322-foot-wide set of fountains that lies just beyond the outer fences. The fountains are back lit with a series of LED lights to entertain fans between innings and hold the distinction of being the largest privately-funded fountains in the world.
With more than half of the stadium's seats in the lower level, the Royals have a distinct home field advantage and fans have a front row seat for the action on the field. In 2010, the Royals completed an extensive remodeling project of Kauffman Stadium that added a large high-definition video board, expanded the terraces over the fountain area, expanded the concourses and added a new pathway around the outfield that provides a clear view of the field from the concession area. Additionally, the Royals added a series of new luxury boxes and club suites for the high-paying guests that frequent the park.
Ever since entering the league in 1968, the Royals have been a serious contender in the American League race with seven division championships and one World Series championship to their credit. While the rest of the league has been overpaying for aging superstars, the Royals have been slowly building a contender through scouting and wise acquisitions to make them one of the most exciting young teams in Major League Baseball. With the American League race wide open, the Royals are poised to return to their glory days and regain their place at the top of professional baseball.