As the weather gets nicer, explore what’s happening Downtown
I don’t have much to introduce this week’s edition, so I thought I’d give everyone a heads-up on some things happening next month Downtown:
SEPT 2: First Friday in the Crossroads and West Bottoms
SEPT 2-4: Kansas City Chalk and Walk Festival at the City Market
SEPT 4: Westside Concert featuring Ram Herrera and Las Estrellas Band, Jarboe Park, 17th & Jarboe
SEPT 8: River Market Community Association board meeting and community mixer at Block 15
Have a great week, and enjoy The Loop!
A bad season for the Kansas City A’s on and off the field
It was on this date in 1967 that a sports “scandal” fit for social media platforms of modern times came to a head during the Kansas City’s Athletics’ final season in our town.
On August 21, 1967, the morning Kansas City Times published the front-page story that A’s manager Al Dark had been fired the day before by team owner Charles O. Finley. The official reason—the one given by Finley—was that Dark had lost control of his players. In reality, Dark had backed his players during their increasing feud with Finley, and Dark’s alliance with his team allegedly infuriated the team owner to the point that he chose to give his manager the boot.
Detail from the front page of the morning Kansas City Time, August 21, 1967
The player-owner feud began a few weeks earlier when Finley got word that three players on a team flight from Boston to Kansas City were inebriated. Finley apparently was convinced by someone on the flight (some believed it was broadcaster Monte Moore, whom the players did not trust and thought was a snitch) that the drunken players used curse words and were belligerent. Other witnesses (including a Kansas City Star reporter on the flight) claimed that, while the three may have had a few, none of the players were rowdy or out of line. In any case, one of the three players—pitcher Lew Krausse—was single out two weeks after the incident by Finley, fined $500, and suspended indefinitely. Finley also announced that he was prohibiting alcohol on subsequent team flights for the rest of the season.
The players, likely weary from Finley’s meddlesome antics, issued a team statement about the incident and suspension on August 19:
"In response to Charles O. Finley's statement of August 18th, we, the players of the Kansas City Athletics, feel that an unjust amount of pressure has been brought to bear on several members of the club who had no part whatsoever in the so-called incident on a recent plane trip from Boston to Kansas City. The overwhelming opinion of the players is that the entire matter was blown out of proportion. Mr. Finley's policy of using certain unauthorized personnel in his organization as go-betweens has led to similar misunderstandings in the past and has tended to undermine the morale of the ballclub. We players feel that if Mr. Finley would give his fine coaching staff and excellent manager the authority they deserve, these problems would not exists."
Again, because manager Dark was aware of the statement and backed the players’ statement, Finley fired Dark.
Angry about Dark’s dismissal, the A’s best hitter that season, Ken Harrelson, added more fire when he spoke to newspapers, saying, “Because of something that never happened on an airplane trip nearly three weeks before, [Finley] had made a fool of himself, a scapegoat out of Krausse, alleged drunks out of all of us, and an apparently ineffectual manager out of Dark. The only thing I know, is Charlie Finley's actions the last few days have been bad for baseball. I think it's been detrimental to the game."
Sooooo, on this same date in 1967, later in the day, the headline in the evening Kansas City Star read “KEN HARRELSON FIRED,” and explained that “The Hawk” was given his unconditional release from the A’s by Finley. (Watch a brief clip of Harrelson recalling the event here.)
From the back of Ken Harrelson’s 1965 Topps baseball card while with the Kansas City A’s. Two years later, he would bat .305 in 61 games for the A’s before being released by the angered team owner Charles O. Finley.
Considering Harrelson’s teammates on that 62-99 Kansas City Athletics team included Reggie Jackson, Rick Monday, Sal Bando, Dick Green, Catfish Hunter, and Bert Campaneris among other quality players, it makes you wonder what could have been if KC had a different owner, if Harrelson had stayed with the A’s, and if the A’s had stayed in Kansas City. Several of these players formed the nucleus for the Oakland A’s winning the World Series in 1972, 1973, and 1974.
Harrelson’s release was a blessing for him. He went from earning $6,000 a year (about $50,000 today) with the A’s to earning $75,000 (about $627,000 today) with the Red Sox.
Ken Harrelson’s 1966 Topps baseball card as a member of the Kansas City Athletics.
CitySceneKC reports on two Downtown apartment projects
Kevin Collison of CitySceneKC is reporting that Barney Allis Plaza, badly in need of repairs and a focus of city leaders, is now the site for a proposed 10-story apartment building that would run parallel to Wyandotte Street on the western portion of the plaza.
Meanwhile, over in the River Market, a proposed 13-story apartment project situated to the west of Minsky’s and south of City Market Park may get the go-ahead to begin construction in early 2023 now that the Federal Aviation Administration has rescinded its concerns about the height of the building. Here are both stories ($):
LINK: Barney Allis Plaza Rebuild Proposal Adds 226-Unit Apartment Project
LINK: River Market Apartment Project May Begin in Early 2023 After ‘Good’ FAA Meeting
The 13-story apartment in River Market would be built on what is currently a parking lot directly west of the City Market. KEM Studio
More Downtown stadium rumors and debate
Rumors and published reports resurfaced last week about a Crossroads location being in play for a Downtown baseball stadium. Most observers still believe the East Village (east of City Hall) location is the front-runner, or possibly a location near 18th and Vine, but talk this past week focused on an area around the Kansas City Star’s defunct printing press building (the giant green glass structure) at 1601 McGee. On the development-centric KC Rag online forum, stadium-watchers have been debating the merits (and demerits) of different sites for a new Royals ballpark. The Crossroads location has many advantages, but a number of established businesses—and at least one historic structure (KC’s oldest standing firehouse from 1885)—would need to be demolished. One KC Rag contributor posted photos of all that would be lost if this Crossroads site were chosen:
LINK: The “Downtown Fabric” that would be lost with a Crossroads ballpark
One of the buildings in the crosshairs of a Crossroads stadium location (and not included in the link) would be the oldest standing firehouse in KC: Firehouse No. 8. It's an airBnB now, but still a structure worth considering.
Cool shot of the Downtown skyline from Worlds of Fun on 816 Day….
1921
The Pantages Theater opened August 27, 1921, near 12th and McGee, and had a good 10-year run until 1931 when, like many theaters across the country, it closed due to the Great Depression. Under new ownership, the theater re-opened in 1934 as the Tower Theater (a reference to its 180-foot tall tower), and remained in business until 1958, about the same time television was capturing the attention of American audiences. The theater was demolished in 1960—and I swear I am not looking for properties just to say this—to make way for a parking lot. The building that appears attached to the left of the theater in this photo remains standing today, and houses, among other things, Zoo Bar at 1220 McGee. Click this link to see what the former theater space looks like today. Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Mo.
Artful City: One weekly selection with a Downtown connection
Pepe López, Guapísimas, 2004, hand-woven Venezuelan food baskets with commercial logos painted in acrylics. On display at 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City at 219 W. Ninth St.
Quick Clip: The city in motion—just a few seconds at a time
Max Groove performs and The Melt Truck serves food at the August Garment District Grooves event at Garment District Place near 8th and Broadway. The third-Wednesday concert/food truck event runs through October.
Downtown Lens: A single image depicting the urban aesthetic
A RideKC bus headed to the garage via 12th Street between Baltimore and Main, mid-afternoon on Friday, August 19, 2022. The Loop
Who are all these people?
Answering the question “Who are all these people and where are they going?”, The Loop brings you a list of some of the biggest events happening Downtown each week. Please give a friendly Downtown-Kansas City welcome to audiences and attendees of….
TODAY
Kendrick Lamar with Baby Keem and Tanna Leone at T-Mobile Center
The Happy Together Tour 2022 featuring The Turtles, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Association, The Buckinghams, The Vogues and The Cowsills at the Kauffman Center
Cabaret continues through the 28th at the Music Theater Heritage
FRIDAY the 26th
Fetch dvm360 Conference (veterinary continuing education) today through Sunday at Bartle Hall
SATURDAY the 27th
Alan Jackson at T-Mobile Center
Leanne Morgan at The Midland
The Floozies present Funk Street 7 at Grinders
Silver Bullet at KC Live! Block
For a more exhaustive list of everything happening Downtown, go to the VisitKC events page and use the “regions” function to search for Downtown, Westside/Southwest Blvd, West Bottoms, River Market, Power & Light, Crown Center, Crossroads, 18th & Vine—or anywhere you want to go in the KC Metro
🎉 Congratulations to our prize winners! 🎉
In conjunction with our recent Loop Launch Party, we entered everyone who joined that night as a paid subscriber—and, separately, everyone who had already been a paid subscriber before that night—into a drawing for Loop- and Downtown-themed prizes. Here are the winners:
KC Downtown Loop T-shirts
Josh B.
Melissa W.
Hollie I.
Gayla G.
Rochester Brewing and Roasting Co. Gift Cards
Mark S.
Bob T.
Susan E.
KC Downtown Loop 2023 Calendar
Ron W.
Downtown Photo Sets
John G.
Joe S.
Jeff S.
Bob H.
Dalene B.
Jennifer N.
If you haven’t already been notified that you won, you’ll receive an email by Monday with details. Some T-shirt winners have already received their shirts in the mail; some other prizes will take a few weeks to arrive. Thanks to all of our paid subscribers—we appreciate your support!
Until next week—enjoy the city!
Got a tip or question about Downtown KC?
Write to: tips@kcdowntownloop.com or contact The Loop via social media
Kevin Worley, Co-Publisher/Editorial
Joe Nichols, Co-Publisher/Business
107 W. Ninth Street, Suite 210
Kansas City, MO 64105
Give The Loop a boost: Become a Founding Subscriber
In addition to having access to all content, and receiving invitations to The Loop’s Downtown events, Founders Level subscribers ($200 annually, or any amount above) receive a Downtown Loop sticker, a T-shirt in their choice of fit, size, and color, and recognition on the website.
THANK YOU TO THESE FOUNDING SUBSCRIBERS….
Karin (Erickson) Bradford
Chris Gahagan
The Kiwinda-Tinsley Family
Todd and Donna Martin
Jane Reed and Mark Patterson
Anonymous
Thank you for the gift card! - Susan E