So we got to Kansas City close to an hour late and then caught a cab to Avis in North Kansas City where we picked up our car. Why did we not take public transportation to the game? Because there's no train in Kansas City to take and a bus would've taken forever. Why didn't we pick up a car at the airport? Maybe someone else knows why, but if we wanted to rent the car a car at the Kansas City airport the price was $334. The price renting one in North Kansas City was $178. So it was worth the $35 cab ride.
Even if Kansas City had light rail, I doubt it'd go to the stadium. While many of the modern stadiums are downtown, the Truman Sports Complex is on the edge of the city, practically in Independence. There is nothing anywhere near it. Any train would be an express only used on game days. It's also unusual because there's a baseball stadium next to the football stadium. I can only think of Philadelphia and Seattle being similar. We got a spot in front of Arrowhead.
People were tailgating in the parking lot. You see that all the time for football but rarely for baseball.
Obligatory stadium shot.
I haven't reviewed older stadiums well because they don't hold up. When the designers were making newer stadiums they saw the flaws in older stadiums and fixed them. Well, I liked Kaufman. It had a very wide open feel and I especially liked the fountains. Every stadium should have something unique and memorable about it, whether it's a swimming pool at Chase, a home run ringing bell at Citizens Bank, or a rock formation at Angel Stadium. Well, the fountains are unique and kind of cool. And they give the stadium a wide open aesthetic that I really like. I felt cramped at Target, Citi, Yankee, Safeco, and many of the other new stadiums.
Kaufman also had a Royals Hall of Fame museum, something I'd only seen at Citi Field. Citizens Bank and Progressive have a Hall of Fame monuments, but not a museum. That's a fun addition.
They even showed a movie about Kansas City baseball. It included the Monarchs, the A's, and the Royals. They went through the Royals history, including their three straight division championships in the 70's and their big breakthrough beating the Yankees in the ALCS in 1980. Strangely, they didn't include the 1980 World Series, which I would've enjoyed seeing. They then hit on the Royals 1984 division title and their 1985 trip to the World Series. They talked about how the Royals were down 3 games to 2 and then won game 6. There was absolutely no mention of Don Denkinger's infamous call at first base. Strangely, they make no mention of the Royals after Dick Howser left the team in 1987. It's as if the team ceased to exist. With two winning seasons since, maybe they have.
They had a kids' area like I saw at Citi Field and Petco. I didn't bring kids, but I always think a stadium is better with that. They even had mini golf.
The food selections weren't so great. Since I knew I was getting authentic Kansas City barbecue for dinner, I opted for a pizza. It wasn't much.
The game was a pitchers' dual, although being out in the sun on such a hot day was a bit much. We moved back a few rows where it was shady and cooler. Still, I enjoyed the view from our seats.
I liked the scoreboard. It was sufficiently large enough but didn't block the open space in the outfield. Sure, the view wasn't much, but it gave a good feel.
The game heated up in the ninth. Despite a late pitching change, the Mariners scored and won the game 2-1.
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