Royals Opening Day

The Kansas City Royals will host the Chicago White Sox for Opening Day this Thursday with first pitch scheduled for 3:15 p.m. The parking lot will open at 9 a.m. with gates to the stadium opening at 1 p.m. Prior to the game, many great events will take place throughout the city and in the stadium. Tickets for Opening Day are still available and can be purchased online at royals.com, by calling 1-800-6ROYALS, at area Price Chopper stores or at the Kauffman Stadium Box Office. Please see below for more details.
 
Greater Kansas City Day
The 31st annual event brings together more than 1,200 volunteers who sell special editions of the Kansas City Star and 50th Season Royals flags on metro street corners and at local Price Chopper locations from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Union Station will host a First Pitch Party featuring former Royals and Chiefs players, complimentary face painters, balloon artists, mascots, Dunkin' Donuts sampling, drawings, as well as flag and newspapers sales. The 50th Season Flags will be available at the 51 local Price Chopper locations all week, while supplies last. Royals Hall of Fame Broadcaster Denny Matthews and Price Chopper's Casie Broker serve as Greater Kansas City Day honorary co-chairs to benefit Royals Charities, Rotary Youth Camp and other local children's charities. For more information, or to order a 50th season flag, visit royals.com/gkcday.
 
Urban Youth Academy Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
The Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy will celebrate its official Grand Opening with a Ceremonial Ribbon Cutting at 9 a.m. The $21 million building project was made possible by the dedication and financial support of the City of Kansas City, Mo., the State of Missouri, the Kansas City Royals, Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and many generous donors, including the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the Hall Family Foundation, Kansas City Southern, the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation, Royals catcher Salvador Perez and the Sunderland Foundation. The Kansas City Royals have committed ongoing support of $10 million over 20 years for the operational costs of the academy.
 
Pregame Ceremonies and Entertainment
The in-stadium pregame show will start at 2 p.m. The Royals will celebrate the Club's 50 Seasons of baseball with many great elements, including participation by Ryan Lefebvre and Denny Matthews, on-field ceremonies honoring Royals alumni, ownership family members, a special In Memoriam video and a celebration of the two World Series Championships. Listed below are the participants who are scheduled to take part in various elements of the pregame ceremonies, subject to change.
· Alumni Scheduled to Appear: George Brett, Bo Jackson, Bret Saberhagen and many others
· Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat Honoree: Shannon Manning will be recognized in the Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat both pregame and in-game. Mr. Manning, then a member of the graphic design team at Hallmark, came up with the first artwork that led to the original trademarked Royals logo. His iconic "KC" and "R" on a shield topped with a crown have stood the test of time. The Royals logo has undergone few revisions over 50 years and is one of the most recognized in Major League Baseball.
· Presentation of Colors: Whiteman Air Force Base will present the colors prior to the National Anthem.
· National Anthem: Local jazz saxophonist Bobby Watson will perform the National Anthem. His illustrious career took off four decades ago as a member of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. "This is a real thrill for me," said Watson, who since 2000 has served as Director of Jazz Studies at UMKC's esteemed Conservatory of Music and Dance. "I was born in Lawrence and grew up in the area. I couldn't be happier the Royals invited me to play the National Anthem."
· Flyover: At the conclusion of the National Anthem, two Navy F-18 squadrons from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia will fly over Kauffman Stadium. 
· Ceremonial First Pitch: Current Royals owner David Glass will throw the Ceremonial First Pitch. Mr. Glass is entering his 19th season as Owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Royals.   
· First Pitch Ball Delivery: Julia Irene Kauffman, daughter of Ewing and Muriel Kauffman and current member of the Royals Board of Directors, will deliver the first pitch ball to the mound. She is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation and Chairman of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
· Rawlings Gold Glove Presentation: Royals outfielder Alex Gordon will receive the 2017 Rawlings Gold Glove for American League leftfielder. Announced following last season, this is his fifth AL Rawlings Gold Glove.