Kauffman Stadium to keep its name for now

According to a report, a deal has fallen through for the Royals to sell naming rights to Kauffman Stadium to US Bank.

Apparently not content on destroying Ewing Kauffman's legacy of winning baseball in Kansas City, owner David Glass wants to take the late, beloved owner's name off the team's ballpark, as well.

Thank goodness for small favors, but according to the Kansas City Business Journal, a deal to give US Bank naming rights to Kauffman Stadium has fallen through.

The Royals has planned on making an announcement about the naming rights this week, but it was cancelled recently, according to the report. Kansas City will host this year's All-Star Game.

The stadium was re-named from Royals Stadium to Kauffman Stadium in 1993 to honor the team's founding owner, who died a month after the name was changed. Kauffman bought the expansion franchise to Kansas City in 1968 and quickly turned it into one of the game's most successful franchises.

Glass, a former president of Wal-Mart, became the CEO following Kauffman's death and immediately oversaw the gutting of the team's payroll from $41 million to $19 million. He bought the team in 2000.

Under Glass, the Royals have had just two winning seasons (only one in a full season) and been a beneficiary of baseball's revenue sharing by keeping payroll low. Before Glass took over, the team had never finished last in its division, a place it's occupied eight times under current ownership.