Across the parking lot from the World Cup, baseball beckons

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, July 2 : World Cup fans making their way into Kansas City's match venue are met right across the parking lot by an unmistakable reminder of a U.S. sporting tradition: Kauffman Stadium, the home of Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals.

With the World Cup drawing global crowds, MLB has emerged as the only major U.S. league in season throughout the tournament, offering visiting supporters a ready-made taste of local sports culture.

Teams are keen to seize the moment, even if turning a World Cup-driven spike in curiosity into lasting fandom may prove challenging in a sport with a very different pace from soccer.

"We want to open our doors to the world," the Royals' president of business operations, Cullen Maxey, told Reuters.

"We share the parking lot, so naturally we should be able to lean in on that a little bit and invite people to Royals games," he said. "We think that gives everybody a really unique opportunity to get a little taste of America."

With the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup wrapping up just as the World Cup kicked off and the NFL season not starting until September, baseball has been the best way for soccer fans and team members to sample U.S. sports.

All 11 U.S. World Cup host cities have MLB teams, and Kansas City has become a clear example of that crossover.

PLAYERS, COACHES, FANS VISIT BALLPARKS

England captain Harry Kane and several of his teammates took in a Royals game during the group stage, with coach Thomas Tuchel throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.

"He had a pretty good throw. I want to say he's got baseball in his future if he wants to," Maxey joked.

"It was amazing for everybody to have them out here and be a part of our game.

"I think what the England players enjoyed most was