Detroit Tigers, Game 40: One thing I loved, one thing I didn't

The News' Tony Paul gives his quick takes on the Tigers' 5-1 loss to the Royals on Saturday: One thing I loved I've been to nearly half of the current Major League Baseball stadiums, and there are lots of gems on that list — including some of the obvious ones, like Pittsburgh's PNC Park, San Francisco's Oracle Park, Seattle's T-Mobile Park and Chicago's Wrigley Field, among others. But one of my favorites is a sneaky one that rarely makes anyone else's list: Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium. It's the fifth-oldest stadium in baseball (behind Boston's Fenway Park, Chicago's Wrigley Field, Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium and Anaheim's Angel Stadium), but it's stood the test of time, and actually has gotten better with age.

Opened in 1973, in the cookie-cutter era, it really is anything but, thanks in large part to a large waterfall and a fair amount of detail-oriented renovations over the years. The best change was subbing out the ugly (and heat-emitting) turf for real grass in the mid-1990s. They've also got the cool and huge crown-shaped jumbotron in center field.

In 2015, they also unveiled a Royals Hall of Fame in left field, and that's a very neat experience, and one, frankly, the Tigers should've taken note of years ago. It's a great and no-brainer way to honor and share the stories of the many good players whose careers didn't rise to the level of number retirement. With the Tigers, if your number isn't retired, you're a total afterthought throughout Comerica Park.

Kauffman Stadium doesn't have the neighborhood buzz of so many major-league stadiums — it's not downtown — but it's a fan-friendly ballpark, and a highly recommended visit. Of course, you might want to wait until the Tigers leave town. It might make for a better experience.