Kansas City Royals owner Sherman talks winning record, Perez

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Royals continue their slow move back to normalcy as even more fans get to enter the stands for live baseball at the K this May.

17,400 fans will get to file into Kauffman Stadium this week, an increase from 10,000 previously. With the seats now at about 45% capacity and the Royals leading in wins, Major League Baseball feels especially good for Kansas City.

KC is 16-10, making a winning percentage of 61.5%. That’s the highest average in the MLB.

John Sherman, majority owner, chairman and CEO of the Royals, sat down with the Kansas City Business Journal to talk about how things have been going this season.

The Royals are leading the American League Central Division and have one of the best records in baseball. What’s been the impact of that on the business side?

“Yeah, good on-field performance definitely helps the business. It helps with ticket sales. It helps with sponsorships and with game-day food, beverage and merchandise sales. When the team’s winning, all those things tend to go up. So it seems when the team is winning that the beer is colder and the hot dogs taste better.”

What was the thought behind the huge contract extension for catcher Salvador Perez? How important was that deal for the team?

“Already this season, Salvy had a couple of walk-off hits, including one that was a home run. Then in a game against the Angels where we were up 3-2, he ended the game by picking a guy off at third base. So he’s a really important part of the team. He’s been a part of our community, and he’s also one of the best catchers in baseball.

“There’s also his energy and his passion for the game. All those things are contagious.”