Royals Owner John Sherman’s Impact Is Already Being Felt
In case you missed it last week, the Kansas City Royals were given the Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence. The award came as a result of the franchise helping turn the Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy into a center for education and learning, voting, COVID-19 vaccinations and more.
This week, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce recognized Royals owner, Chairman and CEO John Sherman as the Kansas Citian of the Year. Sherman was recognized and delivered his acceptance speech at the Chamber's 134th annual dinner celebration.
The KC Chamber has named John Sherman the 2021 Kansas Citian of the Year! pic.twitter.com/Swqkj6DGzp
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) November 24, 2021
The Kansas Citian of the Year award is intended to appreciate an individual who made valuable contributions to their community through things like civic engagement and other actions beneficial to the local public. The late, great Ewing Kauffman — the original owner of the Royals — and Buck O'Neil also won the award before, as did original Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt.
Sherman, whose group purchased the Royals for $1 billion in 2019, is well known for his willingness to effect change in every area he works at. In such a short time in Kansas City, he's served as a terrific fit in what the Royals pride themselves in: doing things the right way. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently commented on Sherman and the Royals in regards to the Selig Award:
“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I congratulate John Sherman and the entire Kansas City Royals organization for this well-earned recognition of service to their community. Their efforts provide a model on how organizations can make a meaningful impact in underserved areas that were most negatively affected by the pandemic. I am especially thankful for their support of the 18th and Vine District, a special place for our sport that houses both the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Royals Urban Youth Academy. Philanthropy is a cornerstone of baseball’s connections to our communities. I commend the Royals and all our clubs for all that they do year-round to give back to those most in need.”
Sherman has hinted at the possibility of a downtown stadium for the Royals, and that's yet another example of him considering something that may benefit a great deal of those within the city. Both he and the organization are garnering quite the amount of recognition this offseason, and it's a testament to the strong morals and core values of those closely involved.
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Jordan Foote is the editor-in-chief of Inside the Royals, as well as the deputy editor of Arrowhead Report and a producer for Kansas City Sports Network. Jordan is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media with a minor in Sports Administration. Follow him on Twitter @footenoted.