Before Kansas City had the Royals, it had a team and an owner who took the team away. Brett Miller, founder of Sports History Group, joins Jacob Milham to tell the story of how a city that lost the Athletics ended up with an expansion franchise in 1969, and why the man who caused the heartbreak helped make it happen.
The cast is a good one. Charlie Finley moves the Athletics out, Senator Stuart Symington pushes hard for a replacement, and the expansion process that follows moves so fast that the Seattle
Pilots become a cautionary tale about what rushing it costs. Brett also covers how the Royals chose to build around young talent instead of chasing established stars, and how the name and identity tie back to the legacy of the Kansas City Monarchs.
Then there is Kauffman Stadium, built as a baseball-only park at a time when most cities were pouring concrete multipurpose bowls. It is the thread that connects the Royals’ beginnings to what Kansas City is debating about its ballpark right now.
If you have ever wondered how the Royals got here, or why expansion talk today sounds so familiar, this is the origin story. Press play, then tell us which part of it you never knew.
Find more of Brett’s work here: https://sportshistorygroup.com/
Check out the history of the Royals’ logo here: https://sportslogohistory.com/kansas-city-royals-primary-logo/
Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:
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– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
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