Fans are back at ‘The K’

Story by Mia Gatti – Staff Reporter

   The spring baseball season is starting back up for the Royals. Last season the team had no crowd to play in front of and a lot of things to adapt to so they could still have a season. This season is slowly becoming more normal for the team in many ways. 

   The players themselves are monitored to make sure they are socially distancing especially when they are at “The K”. Not the entire team is vaccinated yet, but they are pushing by April 9th for all players and coaches to be vaccinated. They are not required to have the vaccine, but MLB is implying the need for everyone to have one. 

   Some guidelines that fans must follow when attending the games are wearing masks at all times. No fans will be crowded together like past season’s games. All fans are sectioned off into pods that are then socially distanced from other pods making the capacity 10,000 people when the stadium holds 37,000. 

   Kauffman Stadium has contactless concession stands with grab-and-go sections that allow them to self-checkout. This allows them to have less crowding by concessions and keeping everyone socially distanced. Mobile order is even a new addition to the concession stand functioning. Order your game food on your phone and skip the long concession lines. 

   Some more changes for fans attending the Royals game is that there will not be vendors walking around the stadium during the game. They do not take any cash payments for anything and are just trying to keep all spectators in their own pods as much as they can and limit everyone’s exposure to more people than needed.

   From last year to this year, it will be a big change in the fans since they were not allowed to go for Covid. 

   “I do think having fans is going to benefit the team. I think the team will play better with fans cheering for them with fans watching them,” Jacob Manning, sophomore, said. 

   Kauffman Stadium and the Royals are doing everything they can to have a safe season and start it off strong. By following these simple guidelines when attending the games to support your team is an easy way to keeping them in season and allowing them to have people to play for.