Royals owner John Sherman addresses Kansas City stadium uncertainty

Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman says he still prefers building the team’s next stadium in the heart of the city, but insists no final decision has been made on where the ballpark will be located.Speaking Monday while mingling with fans at spring training in Surprise, Arizona, Sherman acknowledged growing frustration among Royals fans who have waited years for a definitive stadium plan.“I still have a bias for baseball being in the heart of the city, in the cultural center of our city, and to have the ability to make it better,” Sherman said. “If that happens, that’s going to be best for the community and the city at large, but we have to make sure we make the right long-term decision for the club as well.”The Royals held their first full-squad workout of the spring, a roughly two-and-a-half-hour session that featured all the key players fans expect to see this season — and, eventually, in a new ballpark.Yet despite years of concept unveilings, potential sites and public debate, the team still has not announced where that stadium will be built.Sherman said he understands that fans are weary of the drawn-out process, which has included failed timelines and shifting proposals.He repeated that he wants a decision sooner rather than later and said his goal is to finalize the stadium plan well before the end of the season.

SURPRISE, Ariz. —

Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman says he still prefers building the team’s next stadium in the heart of the city, but insists no final decision has been made on where the ballpark will be located.

Speaking Monday while mingling with fans at spring training in Surprise, Arizona, Sherman acknowledged growing frustration among Royals fans who have waited years for a definitive stadium plan.

“I still have a bias for baseball being in the heart of the city, in the cultural center of our city, and to have the ability to make it better,” Sherman said. “If that happens, that’s going to be best for the community and the city at large, but we have to make sure we make the right long-term decision for the club as well.”

The Royals held their first full-squad workout of the spring, a roughly two-and-a-half-hour session that featured all the key players fans expect to see this season — and, eventually, in a new ballpark.

Yet despite years of concept unveilings, potential sites and public debate, the team still has not announced where that stadium will be built.

Sherman said he understands that fans are weary of the drawn-out process, which has included failed timelines and shifting proposals.

He repeated that he wants a decision sooner rather than later and said his goal is to finalize the stadium plan well before the end of the season.