2003 Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals became a Major League Baseball expansion franchise in 1969 after the Athletics moved to Oakland from Kansas City. The team was put into the American League, now playing in the American League Central, competing against such rivals as the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers. The most productive period in Royals' history was the 1980s. During the 80s the Royals played in three playoffs, two World Series, and won one championship in 1985. Those Royals teams were led by the two sport star Bo Jackson, two time Cy Young pitcher Bret Saberhagen, and the franchise's most productive all time player, George Brett.

Brett, the most recognizable face in Royals' history, went into the Royals' front office in 1993. He, along with the other front office members, gave former Major League Catcher Tony Pena his first managing job in 2003. Pena, known for his knowledge of the game, ability to lead and fiery attitude as a player has brought these attributes to the Royals. He took a team that had been a struggling franchise and in his first season turned the Kansas Royals into a contender. The team's key contributors on offense are its versatile first basemen, Mike Sweeny, and centerfielder Carlos Beltran. Sweeny is known around baseball as a high average hitter that still possesses 30-homerun power. Beltran is a prototypical five-tool player, possessing the ability to heat for average, power, field, throw, and run. These two are a corner stone of a Royals' franchise that, under the guidance of Tony Pena, should continue to compete for the American League Central title.

The Royals have played all their games in at Kaufman Stadium (formerly Royals' stadium), and were hosts for the All-Star game in 1973. Kauffman Stadium's unique features include a 12-story high scoreboard and a 322-foot wide water spectacular. The scoreboard contains 16,320 light bulbs, most of them on the 40 by 60 foot screen. The water spectacular is the largest privately funded fountain in the world, and extends across almost the entire outfield. Kauffman Stadium is located in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri. The tickets to the game are available in nine different price ranges, all priced reasonably compared to many other ballparks around the league. These different price ranges allow anyone with a ticket to Royals' games an opportunity to find a seat in the price range that they are looking for.

The Royals, however, are not the only game in town. The Kansas Chiefs of the NFL also call Kansas City their home. The Chiefs play their home games in Arrowhead Stadium, and have been since 1972. The stadium is known for being one of the loudest in the league, helping to give the Chiefs one of the best home field advantages in all of sports. The Chiefs are known for being an explosive offensive team led by Pro Bowl running back Priest Holmes.

The Royals hope to remain a competitive team in their future games at Kauffman Stadium under manager Tony Pena. They also would like for future Royals' tickets to be as valuable as Chief's tickets. With the leadership of Pena, and hitting of Beltran and Sweeny, this just may become a reality.