KANSAS CITY, MO (January 17, 2020) – The Kansas City Royals today mourn the passing of former Owner and Chairman, David Glass, who passed away last week. He owned the ball club for 20 seasons after officially acquiring the franchise in April, 2000.

“Like so many Kansas Citians, I am deeply saddened by the news of David’s passing,” said John Sherman, the new owner of the Royals after purchasing the club from the Glass family in November. “His voice among other owners was so respected; he served on and led several Major League Baseball committees to better our game. His passion for baseball and love for Kansas City was the driving force in bringing success on the field for this franchise.

“Personally, I will be forever indebted to David for reaching out to offer the generational opportunity to be part of this proud and storied franchise,” added Sherman. “On behalf of the entire ownership group, I want to express deepest gratitude to the heart of a man who carefully placed a treasure in the hands of Kansas Citians. We pledge to carry it forward with his passionate commitment and selfless spirit.” 

“Mr. Glass loved this game, this team, and our city with all his heart,” said Dayton Moore, Royals Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager. “He cared deeply for our fans and for the future of baseball. But above all, Mr. Glass placed an emphasis on putting family first which is what he stressed to our entire organization. We are forever grateful for his humble and supportive leadership, and we are beyond blessed that we were a part of his incredible life. Our thoughts and prayers are with his very special family.”

“The Chairman, as he was known to all of us, was so easy to communicate with and to work for,” said Kevin Uhlich, Royals Senior Vice President of Business Operations. “We never had a meeting that didn’t start with him asking about your family and didn’t end with Mr. Glass asking ‘what can I do to help.’ He was a successful businessman outside of baseball, yet he knew the sport inside/out and implemented his business ideals into the operation of the ballclub and at the league level with tremendous success. His genuine love for the game of baseball and for the Royals and our fans, was second only to his love for family. We were all fortunate to have worked for him and his passing leaves a hole in each of us.”

The influence of Mr. Glass was impactful, as he served Major League Baseball in a variety of areas including the Executive Council, the Media Oversight Committee, Diversity Oversight Committee, MLB Enterprises/MLB Properties Boards, MLB Advanced Media/MLB Network Boards (Served as Chairman through February, 2015), Business and Media Board (Served as Chairman from 2015-17), the BAM Tech Board, Ownership Committee, Audit Committee (Served as Chairman from January, 2017 thru November, 2019), the Constitution Committee and he was a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Board of Directors in Cooperstown.