Royals poised to set all-time attendance mark

KANSAS CITY -- At some point on Wednesday night, the 2,477,701st fan of the season will walk through a gate at Kauffman Stadium and thus break the Royals' all-time attendance record.

Amazing, considering the depths the Kansas City organization went through without ownership through much of the 1990s and without hope through four 100-or-more loss seasons in the 2000s.

Earlier this season, the Royals barged over the two-million mark in attendance for the first time since 1991. And now they are about to shatter the all-time mark set in 1989.

"It has been awesome," manager Ned Yost said. "TV ratings are through the roof, too. It's really something. We went from a team that wasn't all that comfortable playing in front of big crowds to a team that really craves it now."

Catcher Salvador Perez said he looks forward to the crowds every night.

"It's great to have that fan support," Perez said. "They're the reason why we win. We play hard for them. We play hard for them every night."

Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie has enjoyed watching the growth, or return, of fan support in Kansas City since he arrived in 2012.

"Breaking the record will be awesome and such a credit to the fans," Guthrie said. "I've never really seen anything like it throughout my career. And it's not just the numbers, it's the noise they make. They come and they stay until the 27th out and do everything they can to help us win."