Opening day at The K was a success for the Royals, who beat the Minnesota Twins in Kansas City’s first home game of the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
But only a handful of MLB home openers at Kauffman Stadium remain for the Royals, who are actively looking to build a new ballpark elsewhere in the area.
The questions remain: Where will it be built — and why has it taken this long to figure it out?
Royals principal owner John Sherman addressed those questions before Monday’s game in KC. And Star columnists San McDowell and Vahe Gregorian discussed the topic on SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3 FM).
That’s not all we cover in this week’s episode. Next up is FIFA World Cup 2026. Between games and base camps, at least 10 national teams will spend time in Kansas City during the tournament. It’s possible that none will be more excited than the squad from the Caribbean island nation of Curacao.
By area or population, Curacao the smallest country — ever — to qualify for a World Cup. Gilbert Martina, president of the Curacao Football Federation, told us how his team is preparing for the global stage … and a summer visit to KC.
Rundown (timestamps are approximate)
1:15 — John Sherman’s latest update on a new Royals stadium
11:04 — How Royals looked on opening day at The K
17:31 — Curacao’s World Cup journey & what KC can expect
36:20 — What else is on Blair’s radar?
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Blair Kerkhoff has covered sports for The Kansas City Star since 1989. He was elected to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.