“The K” | |
 | |
 Kauffman Stadium in 2017 | |
  Kauffman Stadium Location in Missouri  Kauffman Stadium Location in the United States | |
| Former names | Royals Stadium (1973–1993) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 Royal Way |
| Location | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Coordinates | 39°3′5″N 94°28′50″W / 39.05139°N 94.48056°W |
| Public transit |  KCATA: Route 47[1] |
| Operator | Jackson Sports Complex Authority |
| Capacity | 37,903 (2012-present) 37,840 (2010-2011) 40,785 (2005-2009) 40,793 (2003-2004) 40,625 (1973-2002) |
| Record attendance | 42,633 (ALCS Game 2, October 9, 1980, vs. New York Yankees)[2][3] |
| Field size | Left Field – 330 ft (101 m) Left-Center – 385 ft (117 m) (1973-1994) 375 ft (114 m) (1995-2003) 385 ft (117 m) (2004-2008) 387 ft (118 m) (2009-present) Center Field – 410 ft (125 m) (1973-1994) 400 ft (122 m) (1995-2003) 410 ft (125 m) (2004-present) Right-Center – 385 ft (117 m) (1973-1994) 375 ft (114 m) (1995-2003) 385 ft (117 m) (2004-2008) 387 ft (118 m) (2009-present) Right Field – 330 ft (101 m) Backstop – 60 ft (18 m) (1973-present)  |
| Surface | Kentucky bluegrass / Perennial ryegrass (1995–present) AstroTurf (1973–1994) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 11, 1968[2] |
| Opened | April 10, 1973 |
| Renovated | 2007–2009 |
| Construction cost | $70 million ($480 million in 2023[4]) $250 million (2007–10 renovations) ($349 million in 2023[4]) |
| Architect | Kivett and Myers [HNTB] Populous (renovations 1997, 2009) |
| Structural engineer | Bob D. Campbell & Co. Structural Engineers[5] |
| General contractor | Sharp-Kidde-Webb JV[6] |
| Tenants | |
| Kansas City Royals (MLB) (1973–present) | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Kauffman Stadium (/ˈkɔːfmən/), often called "The K", is a baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals. It is next door to Arrowhead Stadium, home of National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. Both make up the Truman Sports Complex. The stadium is named for Ewing Kauffman, the founder and first owner of the Royals. It opened in 1973 as Royals Stadium and was named for Kauffman twenty years later on July 2, 1993. Since its last major renovation in 2009, the listed seating capacity is 37,903.
Kauffman Stadium was built specifically for baseball during an era when building multisport "cookie-cutter" stadiums was commonplace. It is often held up along with Dodger Stadium (1962) in Los Angeles as one of the best examples of modernist stadium design. It is currently the only stadium in the American League to be named after a person and is also one of eight stadiums in Major League Baseball that does not have a corporate-sponsored name. The stadium is the sixth-oldest stadium in the majors and has hosted the 1973 and the 2012 MLB All-Star Games, along with Royals home games during the 1980, 1985, 2014, and 2015 World Series. Between 2007 and 2009, Kauffman Stadium underwent a $250 million renovation, which included updates and upgrades in fan amenities, a new Royals hall of fame area, and other updates throughout the facility.
In 2022, the Royals announced intentions to build and open a new stadium before the team's lease agreement with Jackson County expires at the end of the 2030 MLB season.[7][8] In 2024, the team announced their intention for the stadium to be located in downtown Kansas City's Crossroads district.[9] The plan would involve displacing several small businesses that would be in the footprint of the stadium. In April 2024, Jackson County voters overwhelmingly rejected a ballot initiative to help fund the new stadium by a 16% margin. A financial analysis of the new stadium plans estimates that the cost to taxpayers would be between $4.4 billion to $6.4 billion.[10] As of June 2024, the team was considering relocating to Kansas City, Kansas.[11]
- ^ Cronkleton, Robert (April 3, 2015). "Fans can take Metro bus to Kauffman Stadium". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
- ^ a b "History of Kauffman Stadium". KansasCity.Royals.MLB. Kansas City Royals. 2016. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
- ^ "Kansas City Royals 3, New York Yankees 2". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Everly, Steve (January 13, 1991). "Engineering Firm's Founder Has Retired". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ^ "New Stadium for Royals in 1972 a Question Mark". St. Joseph News-Press. August 19, 1971. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Truongwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Downtownwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Daileywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Secret memo reveals 'staggering' cost of new Royals stadium for Jackson County taxpayers". Kansas City Star. 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Olivia (June 8, 2024). "Royals open to new Kansas stadium if lawmakers approve STAR Bonds". fox4kc.com. Fox 4 KC. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.