2005 Kansas City Royals

Kansas City does not come to mind as a center of Major League Baseball history ”the Kansas City Athletics played there from 1955 to 1967 and never finished better than 6th place” but the 1969 expansion team, the Royals, have had a number of legendary players on their roster, and they have appeared in two World Series, including a 1985 victory over their intrastate rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. While the Royals' fortunes have dimmed, with 2004's 58 wins being their poorest showing in history, they show signs of improving, and the loyal fans are still going after Royals tickets.

The Kansas City Royals became a Major League Baseball expansion franchise in 1969 after the Athletics moved to Oakland from Kansas City after the 1967 season. 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. Unfortunately the streak didn’t last and in May 2005 Pena resigned and was replaced with Buddy Bell just three weeks later.

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 hope to remain a competitive team in their future games at Kauffman Stadium under manager Buddy Bell. With the leadership of Bell and the hitting of Mark Grudzielanek, this just may become a reality.