New Kauffman Stadium adds excitement to opening day

Erik Stone knew he was in trouble the minute he saw the new carousel that’s the crown jewel of the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium.

The Grain Valley teacher surprised his 5-year-old son Parker and 4-year-old daughter Payden with a trip to The K for Opening Day 2009 as the Royals played host to the New York Yankees.

“We didn’t have school and I was able to get some tickets, so it worked out great,” said Stone, who was also joined by his wife Shannon.

“But when we walked out to center field and saw the carousel, well, Payden didn’t even know a game was going on. The line was long, and we needed to get to our seats so we told her we’d come back and let her ride it the next time we come to a game.”

And when might that be?

“It’s going to be soon, because this place is unbelievable. I’ve been coming to Kauffman Stadium for a long time, and I always thought it was one of the greatest stadiums in the country. And now, it’s even better. It’s just unbelievable. You have to see it to believe it.”

Blue Springs South High School graduate Kristin Carney was manning the carousel, which featured hand-carved animals. There’s even a Sluggerrr figure boys and girls can ride.

“It’s going to be really crowded out here,” said Carney, as she helped youngsters get on the carousel. “We had the open house, and it was so cold that not many people came. But today, with the game sold out and it being Opening Day, we’re really going to be busy.”

Lindsey Tremblay, a senior at Blue Springs High School, was running like crazy as she tried to keep up with her customers in Rival’s Sports Bar.

“It’s been pretty busy,” said Tremblay, three hours before the first pitch. “I know they have fans waiting for tables. I think this is going to be a real popular new part of the stadium.”

The Rival’s Sports Bar and Bud Light Party Deck are located in right field. The bar area features a large picture window where fans can watch the action. On nice days, they can go upstairs to the party deck.

The statues of Royals Hall of Famer Frank White and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett are now located in the new fan-friendly right-field area. They flank the newest statue at the stadium, one of Hall of Fame manager Dick Howser (please see column on Page 1B).

Stadium dining now includes the All-Star BBQ pavilion, Stuggerrr’s Training Table, the new Diamond Club, with an in-seat menu and seating for 900 and 36 new suites that are located throughout the stadium.

Depending on your appetite, you can visit the Hot Corner Grill, Crown Classic, Fry Works, KC Cantina or  Wheelhouse Pizza.

“I don’t know what I expected,” said Blue Springs season ticket holder Jesse McDaniel, “but I didn’t expect anything like this. It’s incredible. It’s almost like you don’t even know the game is going on because there are so many things to look at and experience. They did a great job.”

Dan Pace, another Blue Springs resident, agrees.

“It’s so cool, I love it,” Pace said. “The only problem is that the bathroom lines are a little long, but there are also 40,000 fans here today. The coolest thing about today is that I haven’t seen one Yankee jersey. I look at the stands and all I see is Royal blue.”

While Pace was enjoying the game, his brother Steve, an Independence resident, was manning the oven at Tim’s Pizza.

“We had a lot of guys meet here and go to the game,” Steve Pace said, “and everyone who came in went over to watch the game on TV before they ordered. You can just tell that there’s a lot of excitement with this year’s team.

“I think the winning road trip at had something to do with it, but so does the new stadium. I’m really looking forward to going out to see it.”