Midwest Baseball Game Tour - Leg 2: Kansas City, Work 2
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Before reading on, you lot receive got to know that the histrion I most despise inward the major leagues is ane Jose Guillen. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 hothead in addition to clubhouse cancer, his temper in addition to subordination caused the Angels to burn him (and his admittedly potent bat) ane calendar week earlier entering the playoffs. It was that of import to them that he live off the squad that they’d rather accept their chances of losing the playoffs (they did) than receive got Guillen around poisoning the team’s chemistry…
About iv miles from downtown Kansas City, along Interstate 70, is the Truman Sports Complex consisting of Arrowhead in addition to Kauffman Stadiums. Football’s Chiefs play at Arrowhead, baseball’s Royals of the American League play at Kauffman.
Our tickets, inward the Dugout Boxes section, allow us to go inward through the VIP entrance behind abode plate. Along the way, a utility cart was driven yesteryear with 2 Royals players sitting on the back. Yes, at that topographic point inside spitting distance is the human being I dearest to hate, Jose Guillen. While I’d dearest to allow him receive got a few pieces of my mind, I allow it become lest I live denied admission to the park.
It’s squeamish beingness treated similar celebrities going inward through the squeamish entrance but nosotros notice out that they don’t receive got whatsoever of the night’s giveaway…a Royals shirt for the women…here in addition to nosotros receive got to become dorsum out of our agency to the regular entrance at commencement base of operations to instruct ane for my wife.
Our seats are spectacular. About x rows back, but a pilus off of abode plate on the 3rd base of operations side. Close plenty to run into the bags nether the players’ eyes. I walk a few feet in addition to instruct this shot of Chicago White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillen (no relation to Jose, I hope). Absolutely no overhang, wonderfully wheelchair accessible, in addition to our department comes with 2 giant snack bars that server nearly 95% of the nutrient offerings inward the common along with giant plasma TVs hence you lot don’t girlfriend whatsoever activeness piece standing inward line.
The stadium, around xl years old, had a refurbishment done earlier lastly season. It looks similar a brand-new stadium with retro 70s touches. The signature features are the many fountains inward the outfield in addition to the crown shaped video board inward centre field. Food choices hit from hot dogs, many gourmet sausages from Scimeca’s (Polish, brats, Italian, in addition to Sheboygan), KC barbecue, pan fried chicken, in addition to more. Two higher cease restaurants are inward the outfield, ane inward left in addition to ane inward right. There is a broad selection of beers on tap in addition to the best popcorn I’ve ever had at a baseball game game is beingness popped at ane of the several Topsy’s stands at entirely $4 for a adept sized purse or $8 for a giant tub. It’s e'er fresh popped in addition to they butter it to order. Food prices are rattling reasonable.
All this in addition to the seats are entirely $43…the cheapest of the trip!
OK, nutrient in addition to quaff inward hand, it’s game time.
The Royals, the worst squad inward the league at this point, had fired their manager, Trey Hillman, the hateful solar daytime earlier this game. Former Brewer manager, Ned Yost, is taking over. Yost was working inward the Royals front end constituent until this point.
The visitors are the Chicago White Sox. Taking the mound is Gil Meche for the Royals, Mark Buerhle volition live the arm for Chicago. Meche has a no-hitter going into the quaternary inning when correct fielder Mark Kotsay breaks that upwards with a single. Meche in addition to then strikes out the following 2 batters to cease the inning.
Hits start coming for the White Sox inward the 5th in addition to Omar Vizquel scores on a unmarried yesteryear the Sox catcher, A. J. Pierzynski. In the bottom of the fifth, Buerle picks off a snoozing Jose Guillen at commencement base. The guy didn’t motility an inch. Oh, what sugariness justice, fifty-fifty though nosotros are rooting for the abode team.
The Royals necktie it upwards on a solo homer yesteryear shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt inward the bottom of the sixth. The Royals are commencement to role the bullpen when Dusty Hughes replaces Gil Meche inward the overstep of the seventh. Other than a unmarried yesteryear Vizquel, the side is retired.
It comes apart for Buerhle in addition to the White Sox after the stretch when the commencement 5 batters unmarried in addition to drive inward 3 runs. Tony Pena takes the mound after Buerhle is knocked out of the game. Two batters later, catcher Jason Kendall singles inward 3rd baseman Alberto Callaspo. Pena is out of the game to live replaced yesteryear Randy Williams.
A throwing fault yesteryear Sox 3rd baseman Mark Teahen (a much loved old Royal) scores some other run. Two batters later, managing director Ozzie Guillen makes a right away familiar walk to the mound, replacing Williams with Scott Linebrink. Linebrink induces a Earth out from commencement baseman Billy Butler to halt the carnage in addition to cease the inning. This volition cease the scoring in addition to the lastly grade is 6-1, Royals win.
An after-game fireworks exhibit puts a squeamish cap on our lastly game of the trip. The entirely knock I receive got on the Royals ballpark is that it is non located downtown, necessitating a brusk drive to the suburbs. Traffic flows good in addition to we’re out of the parking lot inward 5 minutes. Kauffman gets the nod equally our favorite stadium on the tour, but edging out Busch Stadium which is but a notch improve than Great American Ballpark inward Cincinnati.
It’s dorsum to the hotel. The following day, at that topographic point is a yellowish skid of newspaper stapled to a banking concern annotation that was slipped nether our door. It says that due to Rockfest, nosotros volition demand to topographic point the yellowish skid of newspaper on our dashboard to popular off along our machine from beingness towed away. We also notice that the hotel is filling upwards with people, many with spiked hair, leather jackets, studs, in addition to drinking heavily. It’s fourth dimension to view the front end desk.
“What is this Rockfest you’re telling us about?” I inquire the friendly daughter at the counter. It turns out that it is an outdoor, heavy metallic concert starting inward but a few minutes in addition to going on through the eventide inward a common 200 yards from the hotel. We tell her nearly the dissonance lastly nighttime in addition to she tells us that if nosotros idea that was bad, “just hold off until tonight! I’m glad I’m off at 3pm.”
“Even if it’s after 12pm, tin I banking concern jibe out with no penalty?” I ask. No problem. I tell her to but give me an hr in addition to I’ll live out. While we’re packing, the concert begins in addition to it’s blisteringly loud. We instruct everything inward the car, I role the hotel’s wifi to notice some other hotel (Drury Inn but a few miles away!) supply the keys, in addition to leave. Most of the following streets are closed. Cars are double-parked in addition to thousands of fans are streaming into the concert…just dodged a bullet there!
Don’t instruct me wrong, I promise they had fun in addition to receive got zilch against the metallic heads in addition to partiers. It’s but non what nosotros were looking for in addition to I want the hotel would receive got allow us know what was going on. To their credit, the staff at the Residence Inn was gracious inward letting us go out without penalty. Still, that in addition to the other problems nosotros had there…the noise, the broken A/C, the torn carpet, in addition to the roll-in shower that was an inch higher upwards the bath flooring causing flooding…kill whatsoever adept feelings I have. I cannot recommend this hotel.
We had plans to run into the Federal Reserve coin museum in addition to the World War I museum but this killed that, summation both are located inward the rattling common the concert was happening at hence I dubiousness they were fifty-fifty opened upwards that day.
About a half-hour later, nosotros describe into the Drury Inn & Suites Overland Park
, Kansas…a suburb of Kansas City. The daughter at the counter is rattling friendly in addition to gives us the keycards to our spacious, two-room accessible suite on the 3rd floor. Just similar inward St. Louis, nosotros receive got a gorgeous, serenity room. Dinner, drinks, soda, popcorn in addition to hot breakfast are free, alongside other things. I almost experience similar I’m dorsum home, inward a familiar place. I mean value nosotros receive got a novel competitor for hotel chain of the year.Dinner this evening is a celebration of escape at the Overland Park branch of the Hereford House, ane of Kansas City’s upscale steak houses where nosotros are wined in addition to dined with a succulent, prime, Kansas City strip.
There's to a greater extent than to come, remain tuned for the trip finale!
Darryl
Copyright 2010 - Darryl Musick
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