I have seen 24 of the 30 ballparks around Major League Baseball. I hope to see them all someday, with Colorado, Arizona, Florida, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Milwaukee still on my list to visit. Every park seems to have some unique characteristic that makes it interesting.
Some, like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, have the history and charm. Some, like the new Yankee Stadium and Petco Park, have wonderful modern amenities. Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals, is remarkable in its own way.
Formerly known as Royals Stadium, Kauffman Stadium recently underwent a $250 million face-lift. Everything was upgraded, from the home and visiting clubhouses, to the family friendly amenities.
The general seats look comfortable and pretty spacious for a ballpark. There are a lot of food and drink options on the concourse, and plenty of friendly faces to help fans find their way.
The most auspicious addition is a gigantic scoreboard in center field. It is literally enormous at 84 feet wide and 105 feet tall, and was, at the time it entered service, the largest high-definition LED display in the world.
The monster TV is surrounded by one of the largest privately funded water fountains in the world, with waterfalls and fountains that go off before and after the game, and in between innings. It’s not quite the display at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, but it’s pretty good.
Another great attraction sits behind the big screen and fountains. It's the Fun Zone. It’s like having a carnival within the ballpark. There are kids' batting cages, a small-scale baseball field to play on, a carousel, playground and five-hole miniature golf course. It literally is an attraction in itself.
Kauffman Stadium really is something to see. It ranks up there among my favorite stadiums. It doesn’t have the history Fenway does, but Kauffman is pretty special.
