The Top 5 Royals Home Openers Of This Century

[Andrew Stockmann]

Image courtesy of © Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Growing up, my brother and I got called out of school each year for the Royals’ first home game. It was the coolest feeling to leave class and head to the K with our dad. Even as a little Royals fan, I always appreciated the pomp and circumstance associated with Opening Day: the bunting hanging from the upper deck, the Royals alumni lining the field before first pitch, and noticing the small updates made to the K each offseason. With that in mind, here are five notable Royals home openers since 2000, in chronological order: 

April 5, 2004 - Beltran Walks it Off

Coming off a surprising 83-79 finish in 2003, dare I say expectations were raised for this mid-2000s Royals squad? A full house packed the K to see the Royals face the division rival White Sox. Five-year-old me was there! 

Can you name the Opening Day starter for the 2004 Royals? Lefty Brian Anderson took the mound for the Royals against Mark Buehrle, another southpaw who ended up with a 3.54 career ERA against the Royals over 366 innings. 

The White Sox raced out to a 4-1 lead thanks to a Paul Konerko double and Sandy Alomar's homer. Their lead ballooned to 7-2 by the bottom of the 7th, but the Royals weren’t finished. New acquisition Benito Santiago cracked an RBI double, and soon pinch-hitter Mendy Lopez stepped up to the plate. In fact, Lopez was a pinch-hitter for a pinch-hitter, as Matt Stairs was introduced but didn’t face lefty reliever, Damaso Marte. 

Lopez only played 18 games in 2004, the last of his career. However, his shining moment came when he slammed a game-tying three-run homer to left-center field. After Angel Berroa singled, Carlos Beltran stepped up and belted a walk-off homer to left field. Amidst all the fireworks, I’m pretty sure we left this game early. 

April 10, 2009 - Renovated Kauffman Stadium’s Debut

A couple of years ago, I found this print at an antique mall. I didn’t have a George Brett shirsey, but this is the Kauffman Stadium I grew up with. However, the K didn’t look that way come 2009, because of a $250 million renovation that was fully unveiled against the mighty Yankees. This was the first game where Royals fans could experience the K’s iconic fountains from up close, thanks to the new Outfield Experience. Newly anchoring the outfield corners, Rivals sports bar and the Royals Hall of Fame building also made their debuts in 2009. 

The actual game itself was pretty ho-hum. Andy Pettitte dominated the Royals' lineup, going seven strong innings while allowing one run and striking out six. Sidney Ponson got the nod for the Royals and allowed four runs over six innings. Six months later, the Yankees would win the World Series, while Zack Greinke took home the American League Cy Young for the Royals. 

April 3, 2016 - Champs Debut New Threads

This game felt big. How could it not? Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN, under the lights at the K. The Royals don’t often debut at night, but coming off their 2015 World Series victory over the New York Mets, they faced off against those same Mets to kick off the MLB slate in 2016. 

Adding to the shine of this game was the new uniforms sported by the new World Champions. The team sought permission from MLB, Majestic, and New Era to incorporate and then continue wearing their gold-trimmed home jerseys and hats for select games throughout the 2016 season, with this game as their debut. 

Just like Game 5 in 2015, the Royals got to Matt Harvey, chasing him in the sixth inning after scoring four runs on eight hits. Edinson Volquez continued his streak of clutch performances from the season prior and didn’t allow a run over six innings, and the bullpen survived a disastrous Joakim Soria outing to hang on for the 4-3 win. While the 2016 season was a letdown in general, this game was a fantastic start. 

July 31, 2020 - Pandemic Season at Empty K

I had to include this game, even if very few people were there. In particular, BECAUSE very few people were there. The Royals started the COVID-abbreviated 2020 campaign on the road before returning to the K and an official attendance of “Not Given.” This highlight of Salvy’s RBI single shows the striking lack of fans, except for the goofy cardboard cutouts behind home plate. We’ll always know a 2020 season highlight upon first glance. 

Making his MLB debut on this night was Kris Bubic, part of the notable 2018 draft class that featured a bevy of college pitchers. Only Bubic and Daniel Lynch IV remain on the 2026 Royals, which is a little hard to believe given all the hype and promise of those arms. 

Bubic pitched fine for a rookie debuting under incredibly odd circumstances, going four innings before turning it over to relievers Tyler Zuber, Scott Barlow, Josh Staumont, Trevor Rosenthal, and Greg Holland. However, Dallas Keuchel scattered seven hits over 5.1 innings and held off the Royals for the 3-2 win.

April 7, 2022 - Bobby Debuts in the Cold

This was probably the coldest Royals game I’ve ever attended. My dad, brother, and I sat in the upper deck, with the wind swirling around and the temperature around 40 degrees. Perhaps that’s why the listed attendance was only 28,459. At least I got to wear my dad’s Royals coat from the 90s! 

Before the game, my brother was one of many in the Team Store at the K to buy a Bobby Witt Jr. jersey. I’d say that was a good investment! Bobby made his debut at third base and came up to the plate with the go-ahead run on second base in the eighth inning. “Bob-by, Bob-by, Bob-by” came out of our chilled lungs, hoping to see our 2019 first-round pick deliver in his debut. And he certainly did, knocking an RBI double down the left field line to score Michael A. Taylor. 

The starting pitcher for the Royals in this game? None other than Zack Greinke, who only allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings. His second stint with the Royals was a far cry from the peak of his powers in 2009, but it’s a sweet, fun fact that he was teammates with Bobby Witt Jr., the vanguard of this next Royals generation. 

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