KANSAS CITY, MO. – I hadn’t been to Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City for a Royals game in over 15 years, but it’s still one of my all-time favorite ballparks.

Last week I wrote about the first part of our weekend in Kansas City, and on Sunday we attended the Royals baseball game against my favorite team, the Washington Nationals.

First, just arriving at the Truman Sports Complex, which houses both the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium and the Royals’ Kauffman Stadium, is a whole lot easier than trying to get in and out of the Tulsa County Fairgrounds during the Tulsa State Fair. An hour before game time there were no long lines and we were immediately directed to a particular parking lot with ample parking. This is one of the key things I remember from attending Royals games in the past, how easy it is to get in and out of the parking lots and quickly back on the highway.

Granted, on this day, we parked closer to the football stadium than the baseball stadium, but it was not that far of a walk. If you go to a Royals game, make sure you not only buy your game tickets in advance, but also purchase a parking ticket in advance and save yourself some money.

Once inside the stadium, my wife and daughter roamed the concourse and walked all the way around the ballpark, while I went up to the press box to visit with good friend, Nationals television broadcaster, and Tulsa resident, Bob Carpenter. I got there just in time to have lunch with Bob in the media dinning room and while there, he was nice enough to introduce me to other members of the Nationals radio and television broadcast crew.

I happened to be wearing a Montreal Expos hat, and when Royals broadcaster, and former Expos player, Rex Hudler walked in, he immediately noticed my hat and came over to me to say hello. I had first met Hudler when he was a rookie in the Yankees organization playing in Oneonta, N.Y., and I was a batboy for Jamestown, in the New York-Penn League. Later, I got to know Hudler a little bit when he was a player with Montreal. He and I reconnected four years ago at a game in Texas.

One of the great things about Kauffman Stadium is the architecture and beauty of the ballpark. I don’t use that word, beauty, to describe stadiums very often, but when comes to this ballpark in Kansas City, it really is. The façade on the outside of the stadium is quite striking, but inside you are met with the majestic pillars topped by stadium lights, that frame the unique crown shaped video board in straight-away centerfield.

Beyond the outfield walls are a row of fountains that “perform” throughout the game, depending on the circumstance. When a Royals player hits a home run, the fountains really put on a show, and at night they are lit and appear to be colorful performers dancing to the music. On a hot Sunday afternoon, it was refreshing to stand behind the fountains on the concourse and let the breeze cool you with droplets of water.

There are plenty of food choices at the various concession stands around the ballpark, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding something you would like to eat. As ballpark pricing goes, it’s pretty much average. I’ve paid more or less for some items at other stadiums, so it’s not bad.

One thing I noticed on this visit, is that the trees beyond the ballpark have really grown, and additional buildings have been built, since the last time I was there. You can’t see the highway beyond the stadium any longer. I suppose some people may think that’s a good thing. I always thought it was kind of neat you could see cars and semis drive by and they could actually look into the ballpark from the highway.

I’ve been to about 15 Major League Baseball stadiums and dozens of minor league ballparks, and Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City it still one of my favorites. It’s just a great place to watch a game, but if you attend a day game in the summer, make sure you purchase tickets for seats in the shade. We learned that lesson, and now know where to sit next time.

TULSA BEACON RADIO

My guests this week on “Tulsa Beacon Weekend” will be content creation expert, Jonathon Chanti, and Victor Cruz, president of One to the Other Ministries. The show airs on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CST on 970am KCFO.