Cha-ching for the bling: KC not thrifty with ring

KANSAS CITY -- When it came to the designing and purchasing of the Royals' World Series rings, no expense was spared.
In fact, Royals senior vice president of business operations Kevin Uhlich, who was in charge of the process, said he didn't even have a budget.
"And that's a tribute to the Glass family," Uhlich told MLB.com. "It was more about design and having a great piece of jewelry -- something you can wear -- rather than something that would just sit on a shelf. And it was about rewarding the whole organization."

The Royals distributed about 700 rings in total, Uhlich said.
The distribution was divided up into three groups: The "A" rings went to players, coaches and the executive staff; the "B" rings went to full-time employees; and the "C" rings went to part-time employees and associates.
About 80 or so "A" rings were distributed, along with approximately 350 "B" rings and 270 "C" rings.
The "A" rings were the most expensive. The Royals and Uhlich wouldn't confirm the figure, but those rings are believed to be appraised for $23,700 each. The "B" and "C" rings are less expensive.
The most expensive World Series rings made were believed to be the 2003 Marlins championship rings. Those appraised for about $40,000, though the Marlins -- like the Royals and all other teams buying World Series rings -- received a discount because of the quantity purchased.
Uhlich said the Royals rank pretty high in generosity of rings distributed, as well as cost. Uhlich wouldn't reveal the final bill, but he said the cost of all the rings was "in the millions."
"Some teams have come close," Uhlich said. "Some teams have done less. What the Glass family did was very generous."