Eric Stonestreet among new ownership of Kansas City Royals

The Royals unveiled their new ownership group under CEO John Sherman on Tuesday, which includes none other than Modern Family actor and Kansas City sports fan Eric Stonestreet.

“I could not think of a more exciting or fitting way to combine one of my passions with my love for the great people of my hometown,” the actor said.

Modern Family actor Eric Stonestreet is now a part owner of the Kansas City Royals, joining local businessmen including controlling owner John Sherman in the ownership group. 

Those who follow Stonestreet, a graduate of Piper High School in Kansas City and Kansas State University, on social media know how strongly he supports the MLB team. His Modern Family character Cam is also a huge fan, resulting in a 2018 episode featuring an appearance by Royals’ legendary third baseman George Brett. 

“It’s no secret how passionate I am about Kansas City, along with Kansas City sports and Major League Baseball,” Stonestreet shared Tuesday in a tweet. “When this opportunity arose to invest in the Royals, I could not think of a more exciting or fitting way to combine one of my passions with my love for the great people of my hometown. I look forward to being part of a group working to bring championship baseball to Kansas City once again.”

The purchase of the Royals from David Glass for approximately $1 billion was approved unanimously by owners of the other big league clubs at their meeting on Thursday. The transfer closed Monday, and the full list of owners — primarily local businessman along with a few famous fans, such as actor Stonestreet — was released prior to a news conference Tuesday.

The group is just the third owner of the Royals since their inception in 1969, when Ewing Kauffman established the team. The Glass family served as caretakers of the franchise following Kauffman’s death before purchasing it outright and retaining control until earlier this year.

The ownership group takes over at a unique juncture for the organization.

After losing to the San Franciso Giants in the 2014 World Series and beating the New York Mets to win the 2015 title, the club quickly went downhill. Many of the Royals’ best players hit free agency, draft misses had left the team’s prospect pool barren and the result has been back-to-back 100-loss seasons.

But there were signs late last year that another wave of talent could arrive soon, including a group of heralded young pitchers still in the minors. There is a fresh feeling after the retirement of manager Ned Yost and the hiring of Mike Matheny, who had been serving as an advisor. And the Royals are finalizing a lucrative new TV rights deal that should help their financial flexibility.