By this lil happy rock, Still Rolling Its Eyes
In the increasingly familiar saga of the Kansas City Royals’ quest for a new ballpark, the list of willing dance partners is getting shorter by the day. After missing yet another round of deadlines, government officials in both Kansas and Missouri have signaled they’re done negotiating—leaving Kansas City and Jackson County as the only public entities still openly talking about continuing to work with the team.
That’s right. As of now, the Royals’ active conversation circle appears to consist of Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and newly elected Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota. LeVota, notably, seems far more open to working with the Royals than his predecessor, former executive Frank White, who spent much of his tenure applying the brakes to stadium enthusiasm. Whether that openness translates into an actual deal—or just more talking—remains to be seen.
Elsewhere, the mood is far less accommodating. Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington has made it clear he’s had enough of what he calls “the business of baseball.” After initially declaring he was done negotiating with the Royals, Withington later clarified that he was speaking only for himself, not the full commission. Each commissioner, he said, is free to make up their own mind. Still, his frustration mirrors a broader fatigue among officials who say they negotiated in good faith for timelines in November 2025 and April 2026, only for the Royals to miss both.
That frustration is especially notable given Withington’s own history. Not long ago, he was one of the louder boosters of bringing the Royals to Clay County. That enthusiasm, however, ran headlong into severe opposition from voters—and, memorably, this small but mighty “happy rock” of public resistance that helped derail the idea. Turns out, glossy stadium renderings don’t always beat organized voters with strong feelings about taxes and location.
The result is a narrowing field. Kansas and several Missouri jurisdictions are effectively stepping back, while Kansas City and Jackson County remain the last public voices still saying, “Sure, let’s keep talking.” For the Royals, that’s not exactly leverage—it’s more like being the last person still standing at a networking event after everyone else has checked their watch and gone home.
As Commissioner Withington put it, “At some point, you stop negotiating.” For many officials, that point appears to have arrived. For the Royals, the question now is whether they bring something concrete to the table—or continue hoping that patience, like baseball season, lasts forever.
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