How Royals are experiencing a true road trip as MLB moves closer to pre-pandemic norms
No longer will the national pastime serve as the speakeasy of the sports world, with games taking place behind closed doors and the masses shut out.
Generic crowd noise, antiseptic environments and that strong vibe of a group of teenagers having sneaked into a venue where they’re trespassing — those are all things of the past for teams like the Kansas City Royals.
While many hurdles still must be cleared from a public health and safety standpoint to reach a true and full return to normalcy, the Royals have already experienced the return of fans, albeit at a reduced capacity, to Kauffman Stadium.
They also took part in the Indians’ home opener in Cleveland on Monday, and they’ll be half of the main event in the Chicago White Sox’ home opener Thursday.
“To have people in the seats gives you that extra boost of adrenaline,” Royals All-Star infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield said after Monday’s game. “The first three games, we were hearing cheers. But sometimes it’s fun to hear the boos as well. We got to experience that again.
“Even the boos were missed last year. We’re fired up to have fans back. I just saw a picture of Texas, which gave me goosebumps watching that and seeing that packed house.”
The Texas Rangers had an announced attendance of 38,238 in the season opener at their new ballpark, the first Rangers home game fans were allowed to attend.
The Indians’ opener hosted a lot fewer, with an announced attendance of 8,914. However, that’s a cool 8,914 more than were allowed into the ballpark when the Royals opened the season in Cleveland last summer at the start of the condensed 60-game season.
Last season, the Royals and Indians played an opener with all the atmosphere of a glorified scrimmage. With no fans in the ballpark and few indications in the downtown area that baseball season was beginning.
The societal unrest played a big part in that last year. Multiple city blocks featured boarded up windows and empty storefronts. Businesses were closed or were operating on very reduced hours and at a fraction of capacity.
At times during that series, music blaring from one of the nearby bars could be heard in the ballpark. The lack of live bodies in the stands made the setting eerie.
No fans meant no concession stands, no vendors patrolling the stands, no smells of popcorn, hot dogs or hamburgers.
Entire sections of the park were vacant, and the piped-in crowd noise did little to make up for the lack of energy in the ballpark. The air wasn’t filled with the typical chatter or the call and response between the PA system and/or video board prompts and the crowd.
Royals left-hander Danny Duffy started last year’s opener at Progressive just as he did this year’s. He described the presence of fans in the ballpark as a “blessing.”
“I just try to go out there and do my job regardless of who is and is not in the stands, but I definitely noticed a difference walking out there,” Duffy said. “A little bit more of a buzz on the way out to the bullpen.
“I’m very thankful that we’ve gotten back to a point where we can have them back in the seats. That’s why we play the game. It’s a huge piece to the puzzle that is Major League Baseball, that’s the biggest one.”
Even without the ballpark brimming with people, there was a palpable sense of an event taking place in downtown Cleveland Monday afternoon.
Up the street and around the corner, live music could be heard a couple of streets away. Before the stadium fully comes into sight from street level, the crowd and the ambiance told a story.
Groups of people wearing jerseys or Indians team gear filled the sidewalks. About a block away from the ballpark, where Prospect Ave, E. 9th Street and Huron Road come together, the courtyard outside The Clevelander Bar and Grill filled with patrons.
Metal barricades blocked roads. Police officers directed traffic, others roamed on horseback while another duo of bicycle officers stood at the ready outside the left field gate.
A sign lit up outside the park read “WELCOME BACK FANS” stood near one entrance.
Last summer, the area outside the right field gate sat relatively empty. On Monday, the statues of Larry Doby, Bob Feller and Lou Boudreau weren’t nearly as lonely as fans gathered beyond the gates in anticipation of the game.
Inside the gates, the once-dour stadium now beamed with life as spectators provided the character the ballpark lacked last season.
While most weren’t there in support of the Royals, a mildly-hostile environment only bolstered the idea that baseball has moved closer to the way things were until 2020 arrived.
Royals manager Mike Matheny said it “felt right” to play in front of a crowd in a true road setting again.
“It just feels normal,” Matheny said Monday evening. “There was a loud crowd here today for whatever attendance they let in. It was an exciting atmosphere against a team that obviously we know has been good for a long time. We know this fan base pulls hard for this club, especially on an Opening Day atmosphere — just as expected.”
This story was originally published April 7, 2021 at 8:11 AM with the headline "How Royals are experiencing a true road trip as MLB moves closer to pre-pandemic norms."
