Ripped Royals billboard is not a mistake

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If you’ve seen the ripped Royals billboard on I-35, you may have thought wind damage was to blame. But turns out, the rip is intentional.

The billboards are the brainchild of Mission-based ad agency Walz Tetrick. They show Royals pitcher James Shields throwing a fast ball across the interstate to catcher Salvador Perez. At first glance, it looks the billboard is damaged, but Royals Vice President of Community Affairs Toby Cook said the rip is meant to depict the fast pitching power of “Big Game James.”

“We’ve gotten calls,” Cook said. “One is, ‘Wow that’s a really cool effect. We love it. It’s different than anything we’ve seen before.’ And others, ‘Hey, you might want to check out the damaged billboard on I-35.’”

Cook said the Royals have reached out to everyone who have expressed concerns, saying, “No, it’s supposed to be like that.”

Single game tickets will go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. online, on the phone and at the Royals box office.