SURPRISE, Ariz. _ The Kansas City Royals' leadership group, including chairman and CEO John Sherman, released a letter Sunday morning addressed to "our Kansas City Royals family," stressing the importance of keeping sports in perspective during the COVID-19 coronavirus national emergency.
The letter _ signed by team president Kevin Uhlich, general manager Dayton Moore, manager Mike Matheny and Sherman _ also referred to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's decision to suspend spring training and push back the start of the major-leauge season, stating, "the first priority was and will continue to be the health and well-being of fans, players and staff alike."
The full text of the letter:
"To our Kansas City Royals family:
"In these extraordinary times, we hold the health and safety of our families, teammates, friends and neighbors as our top priority. We know that sports, while deeply embedded in our lives, should never stand in the way of the greater good.
"Watching fans come through the gates at Spring Training this week as vendors set up and players prepared to take the field _ only to learn that the game would be canceled in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) _ is a scene none of us will ever forget. But there can be no question it was the precisely right decision by Commissioner Manfred and Major League Baseball, insuring that the first priority was and will continue to be the health and well-being of fans, players and staff alike.
"This week's announcement has created questions around games and tickets and schedules, and we're committed to answering all of those as soon as we are able. To that end, you can find preliminary answers to some of those questions here.
"Members of our organization, along with medical experts from The University of Kansas Health System, and government officials from the city and county will continue to work diligently to create, implement and communicate policies and practices aimed at the safety and health of our players, fans and staff when baseball returns.
"Finally, we're committed to using our voice to support and serve our community. So in addition to the steps above, at this intensely challenging time for our community and our country, we're actively working to develop programs that help support Greater Kansas City outside of the ballpark.
"Watch for us. This may be a time for 'social distancing,' but rest assured that we will be reaching out to you and our community in meaningful, safe and energized ways that represent the best of our Kansas City spirit.
"We will persevere through this, and when we get to the other side, we will come back together in the setting we love most. In the meantime, we all have an important part to play, from the personal responsibility of knowing and following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and our local health officials, to actively helping the most vulnerable among us.
"We're proud to be part of this great Kansas City region, where people come together to solve problems and lift each other up. We appreciate your partnership as we work together to face this challenge, and remain #AlwaysRoyal."
