Royals fans turn out for opening day in biggest crowd since 2017: ‘It’s electric’
The crowd at Kauffman Stadium for opening day was full of children fortunate enough to be on spring break to see the Royals play the Guardians, along with adults passing on their own love of the spring tradition.
All were caught up in the opening day magic and thrilled to see baseball return to The K.
The Royals opened their 2025 season against their AL Central division rival in front of a sold-out stadium of 39,393, the largest Kauffman Stadium crowd for a home opener since April 10, 2017. Even though the game ended in a 7-4 loss in 10 innings, excitement among fans is high.
“This day is always great. I mean, you go back to when we were all little kids, opening day was a big deal,” said Royals general manager J.J. Picollo at a pregame press conference. “That was the only day I think I got sick and missed school every year and watched whatever was on TV. So it’s exciting. It’s fun to be a part of.”
Homecoming for home opener
The smell of fun and barbecue was in the air in the Truman Sports Complex parking lot, where friends and families pre-gamed the big day, some of whom traveled from out of state to be here.
Opening day also served as a homecoming for Ryan Shepherd. He was born and raised in Kansas City; met his wife, Kristen, in the area; and had been to 20 consecutive Royals’ home openers. He now lives in Milwaukee with his wife and three kids, making games harder to go to in person, but easier to watch on TV since the team isn’t blacked out on the MLB.TV subscription service.
The children are all on spring break, and this is their first time inside Kauffman Stadium. Shepherd said it means a lot to him to bring a tradition he used to share with his parents by going to opening day, especially since he doesn’t how much time the stadium has left.
“I grew up watching games here, and my wife and I met in high school, and many of our first few dates were at Kauffman Stadium, so there’s a lot of memories here,” Shepherd said. “So to bring them here when they’re old enough to remember and what’s going on is very special to me.”
A decade since the World Series
It’s been 10 years since the Royals last won the World Series, a memory that many in attendance hold near and dear to their hearts.
Jennifer Imre-Justus, a fan from Kansas City, said she’d love to relive that memory this year. Her husband’s rally chili didn’t make an appearance at their large tailgate, but she said he eats it after every victory.
“He’ll eat it after every victory until he has to go to the doctor,” Imre-Justus said. “We’re willing to do it.”
While Imre-Justus remembers the championship team fondly, a few in the crowd weren’t born or hadn’t learned how to walk when Salvador Perez, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon and others led the team to their second championship in franchise history.
Ten-year-old Brock Beck from Kansas City didn’t experience the magic around the city, but he thinks the current crop of players, including Bobby Witt Jr.and Vinnie Pasquantino, can bring the feeling back to old fans and show it to new fans for the first time.
The same belief is shared by 12-year-old Lewis Friederich from Kansas City, who thinks they’ll go further than 2024, where they lost in the AL Divisional Round to the New York Yankees in four games.
He’s heard the stories from his father, Dan Friederich, on how the city was buzzing 10 years ago, and he dreams of experiencing an American League Championship Series one day.
“The pennant, hopefully,” Lewis Friederich said.
A proper sick day at the K
While many of the school-aged kids in the crowd were on spring break, Brandon Schwarz, a teacher with the Olathe School District, said he didn’t know how many kids may have had their parents call in for a sick day — because he did the same. He was joined by a group of friends he’s known for the last 20 years who all join together to go to Chiefs games in the fall.
He said he’s excited for this season and the improvements the team should make. The additions to the bullpen and the starting lineup he hopes makes this year more awesome than 2024.
Like many of the fans, Schwarz just wants playoff baseball back again.
“It’s electric,” Schwarz said. “Every pitch matters in the playoffs, and I got to go to one playoff game that (the Royals) won last year, and I’m ready for more.”
It’s unknown if this was planned in advance or if Schwarz used the sick note excuse MLB posted on its official Instagram account.
“Please excuse (insert name here) from (insert job/school here) on Thursday, March 27, 2025,” MLB said. “It’s Major League Baseball’s Opening Day, which is basically the best day of the year, so we know you will understand that (insert name here) is not going to be available.”
It didn’t work for me is all I’ll say.
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This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 7:31 PM.
