According to the article I read it has to do with money. Not sure how that's a downtown problem....
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2019 draft pick Jimmy Govern has already hit 2 HRs since being promoted to AAA from AZL Rookie ball where he led the league in OPS. Wtf

The Royals acquired Frank Swindel 2.0 from the Yankees, Ryan McBroom who has been destroying AAA but is 27.
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Arrowhead stays where it is, but I think baseball eventually moves to a downtown ballpark.

Improving and extending the streetcar/light rail is a key part of that. If the bottoms/river market/downtown/westport-plaza/Brookside/Waldo/south KC could all get connected via the streetcar, that would be a big boon, especially if there are some commuter lots on the periphery of the system for those who don’t live in those areas.

That gets easy access for a lot of young people who will turn out for a solid product, especially if it’s in the middle of a cool district with things to do before and after the game.

I think you also build the next stadium smaller (even if it’s a rebuild of the current K). I think that’s the next trend in baseball stadiums... less focus on cramming people in and more on making the experience better while you’re there.

I also get that as a stubborn city resident who is never moving to the godsforsaken suburbs, that shades my view of this. I have great memories at the K and it’s a great place to watch a game. Just a giant pain in the ass to get to from the west side of the city, especially from Olathe/southwest KC (where I used to work).
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Many people spend that much each way any time they go out in the city.

I almost never drive anywhere when I go out, even on a weeknight.

I’m 37. People younger than me are even more aggressive about using ridesshares any time they go out and plan to have more than a drink or 2 with dinner. When weighed against the possibility of getting popped for DUI, it’s an easy, easy decision.
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:-)
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Nothing you wrote addressed the 40/debt service annually the new owners now have. I’m surprised you don’t realize MLB is simply a business deal. And those who run it make financial decisions only, not based on what urban milennials (who have no money anyway) prefer.
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I think speculating on the new ownership's debt is foolish, no? Until we see what this group is actually made up of. That being said, when was the last time a owner paid for the whole of a stadium? They strong arm the city to make it happen.
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Not foolish at all. There will be debt and lots of it and you can be certain of it becasue it’s financially prudent. Even if you had $1B you’d still borrow the majority of this purchase.


Also, the LT avg contribution by ownership is like 23% of stadium funding. It will be 0% here, since the debt service.
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You keep assuming they’re financing the whole thing to get to that $40 million/year debt service total, right?

That seems very unlikely to me. I’ve heard a few things from someone who knows John Sherman well that Sherman’s group was the preferred buyer because it had the least amount of financing.

They’re going to pay SOME cash down. Sherman has around $400 million in assets he has to divest (Indians), so we’ll see where it goes.

Regardless, if a new stadium was built, the taxpayers are going to pick up most of the tab. I don’t think what ownership is willing to put in is a major contributor to WHERE it gets built in KC. Around the time the lease is up, it will be a decision of either building new or renovating existing.

Personally am fine either way. Just hope new construction, if it happens, goes downtown. And would personally be a high utilizer of the improved convenience.
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I know this your new beat to death thing, but you do realize MLB doesn't allow you to buy a team with major debt service on the purchase.
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Like the Marlins group borrowing 400M?
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Jimmy's a 30th round draft pick too! Holy fuck! Do they ever do this? Promote a guy from AZL to AAA there first pro season? What's the end game here?

Duncan? PB? Anyone else? Can you guys stop arguing about our new owners finances and answer my fucking question?
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How much do they pay per year on that loan payment?
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Let me call their CPAs and ask them. Can I get back to you this week?
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Well fuck man, you keep throwing out this $40 mil/year number for the Royals and don't even know how much their loan is, but can't tell me how much the Marlins are paying a year and you know how much they had to borrow.
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