Ballpark Notes: Royals Show Off Renovations To Kauffman
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Royals Offer Sneak Preview Of Ongoing
$250M Renovation To Kauffman Stadium |
In a special to MLB.com, Robert Falkoff noted the Royals yesterday escorted members of the media on a tour of Kauffman Stadium, providing a "sneak preview of the early work" in the $250M renovation designed to transform the facility into a ballpark that "will rank with the best" in MLB. The Royals anticipate a grand opening for the new-look ballpark on Opening Day '09 and "completion of all work by the All-Star break in '09." Royals Senior VP/Business Operations Kevin Uhlich: "To use the word 'renovation' really doesn't do it justice. I did a renovation in Anaheim and it was $120[M]. We're doing twice the amount of work. We are actually building a brand new stadium around a seating bowl. It really is going to match any of these new buildings." A new 84 by 105-foot Crown HD Video Board -- the "largest in North America" -- already has been installed, and there also is an "out-of-town scoreboard along the wall in left-center field, full-view bullpens beyond the fences in left and right, staircases on the ends of the view and club levels and an added row of Crown Seats." A new Sports Bar Restaurant and entertainment amenities also will be built by Opening Day '09 (MLB.com, 4/1).
COMERICA: In Detroit, Terry Foster writes under the header, "Comerica's New Seats Aren't Bad: Scoreboard View Isn't The Best But Crowd Had Fun." Foster notes the Tigers at Comerica Park "added seats under the large scoreboard in left and under the Pepsi porch in right, expanding the capacity by more than 700." The new sections during Monday's season opener against the Royals "played a role in the record crowd of 44,934 ... and what likely [will] be a season attendance record in the range of 3.5 million." However, in section HHH "you don't get a full view of Comerica and you certainly don't get to enjoy replays on the giant scoreboard" (DETROIT NEWS, 4/2).
WRIGLEY: Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA) Chair James Thompson said that the ISFA "made a formal bid to buy Wrigley from Tribune Co. late last month that the company rejected but countered." Thompson "expects to come back with another proposal." In Chicago, Ray Long reports Thompson "compared the give and take to negotiations on a house and noted that [Tribune Co. Owner] Sam Zell ... has a variety of other options to raise cash, including selling newspapers outside Chicago." Cubs Chair Crane Kenney confirmed the "back-and-forth sequence with the stadium authority," but would not elaborate on negotiations (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/2).
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