Updated: Royals will raise World Series flag on opening night; ring ceremony on April 5
The Royals will raise their 2015 World Series championship flag before they open the season April 3 at Kauffman Stadium, but the players will have to wait until the second game to receive their rings.
The ring ceremony will occur before the Royals and Mets play the second game of their season-opening series at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 5. The season opener, originally scheduled for April 4, was moved to 7:37 p.m. April 3 to accommodate ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball.”
The change in dates will allow television viewers in Kansas City to see the entire ring ceremony. That would not have been possible on ESPN’s national broadcast. Fox Sports Kansas City will broadcast the April 5 game.
“We decided to move the ring ceremony to the second game of the season so our entire fan base could feel like they are a part of it,” said Kevin Uhlich, the Royals’ senior vice president of business operations. “While it’s great that ESPN has selected our season opener for their first primetime telecast, only our fans in attendance would have the opportunity to witness the entire ring ceremony.”
The April 3 pregame also will include an on-field introduction of both teams, a 2015 highlight video and a giant flag carried by 120 military members for the National Anthem. Before the April 5 game, video highlights from the 2015 World Series and the team’s eight postseason comeback victories will be shown.
The Royals received their 2014 American League championship rings — and raised a flag to commemorate the pennant — before last season’s opener against the White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Fox Sports Kansas City carried the entire ceremony on television.
The Royals beat the Mets in five games for last year’s World Series title. This will be the first time the previous year’s World Series teams meet in a season opener; baseball moved to year-round interleague play in 2013.
This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Updated: Royals will raise World Series flag on opening night; ring ceremony on April 5."