(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
The KC Royals long ago made the choice not to live on the home run. One look at Kauffman Stadium, the ballpark that refuses to let time pass it by, explains why. It’s a spacious venue that forces the club to capitalize on speed, hits in the gaps, and stellar defense, not barrages of homers.
Whether the park dictated the club’s philosophy, or franchise philosophy drove the design, really doesn’t matter. The Royals don’t, and probably never will, build teams around power, not unless proponents of a downtown stadium someday prevail and build a smaller park more suitable for long ball teams.