In 10 weeks living in Lawrence, I’ve only felt compelled to go to Kansas City once for non-work-related entertainment. The sun cooked, just the way I like it. The fountains gushed, cool as ever. What a ballpark, Kauffman Stadium.

As usual, when my emotions tussled with my intellect, the favorite won by a landslide. My emotions decided a new ballpark was the only thing the dreadful Royals didn’t need.

Before sharing that opinion, I decided to consult someone whose intellect doesn’t routinely get pummeled by his emotions, an educator with a considerable history not only with the Royals, but with building major-league ballparks.

Gene Budig, who counts Kansas University chancellor and American League president as lines on his resume, was an integral force to bring $2.3 billion worth of new ballparks to fruition during his nine-year tenure as AL boss. Len Coleman was doing the same as National League president.

The legacy the friends share: new, retro ballparks that serve as cash cows for baseball owners and sources of pride for their cities. Budig and Coleman were the perfect tandem to get it done, because they had the necessary blend of classy aggressiveness and contacts in high places.

Budig’s resume, which ought to at least get him a first interview if he’s ever looking for work again, also includes the line “Board of Directors, Kansas City Royals, early ’90s.”

“I care a lot about the Royals,” Budig said from his office in New York, where he’s working on education projects. “That franchise is very important to me. I very much want it to do well. I want it to be playing for championships. It has a proud history.”

To do that, Budig believes, getting a downtown ballpark is a must, and only a start.

“Sports facilities are central to urban development and progress,” Budig said. “I personally favor downtown ballparks because they draw large numbers of people. The community prospers with these new facilities, but they’re more than brick and mortar. These new facilities are genuine sources of pride, and they certainly serve as economic drivers.”

Speaking bluntly, Budig called economically inadequate stadiums “the first step toward extinction.” Luxury boxes, priority seating, and downtown workers who buy tickets are cash cows for owners, and those who don’t have them get left behind.

“And remember one other thing, new facilities do not have bad seats,” Budig said. “All have moved the fan closer to the field.”

What Budig said next finally swayed me to his side of the issue, because it triggered a light in the endless darkness that is my head most of the time.

“Owners in their communities must be committed partners if their professional teams are to be truly competitive and sources of universal pride,” Budig said. “There are no shortcuts. You have to see the big picture and be willing to invest significant resources for the future. Winners are the result of creative and courageous leadership. Fans support exciting teams in large numbers, and they freely buy tickets for an engaging on-field product.”

There it was, the payoff pitch. Getting a new stadium would remove the Royals’ excuse for being such a laughingstock. Public pressure would force owner David Glass to either spend for competitive talent or sell the team. Either way, the fans win.