The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Kansas. Formerly known as the Kansas City T-Bones, they are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball; which, in 2020, became designated as a Major League Baseball partner league.[2] They have played their home games at Legends Field (formerly CommunityAmerica Ballpark) since 2003, when the team began as a member of the Northern League. In 2011, the team joined the modern American Association. In 2018, the T-Bones won their first-ever American Association championship by defeating the St. Paul Saints.[3] While named the T-Bones, the team's mascot was named Sizzle. On January 21, 2021, the team announced a partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and a rebranding to the Kansas City Monarchs, one of the founding teams of that league.[4]
The Monarchs defeated the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in the 2021 American Association championship, claiming the franchise's third title. They then added a fourth championship in 2023, defeating the Chicago Dogs.
History
The team was founded in 1993 as the Duluth–Superior Dukes (representing Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin), a charter member of the Northern League. The Dukes were mostly unsuccessful in their history, but won the Northern League championship in 1997, though league records do not reflect such continuity.
Northern League (2003–2010)
The T-Bones broke ground on the park now known as Legends Field on September 4, 2002, and played their first home game on June 6, 2003, just over nine months later. In their inaugural season, the team finished 43–46, but enjoyed a banner season from Eddie Pearson, who led the league in batting average (.362), RBIs (78), and hits (124) and was named 2003 Northern League Most Valuable Player.
The T-Bones finished the 2004 regular season with a 48–48 record. However, the T-Bones won the second-half South Division title and faced the Schaumburg Flyers in the first round of the playoffs. The T-Bones lost the best-of-five series 3–2. For the year, T-Bones player Eddie Pearson received the Most Valuable Player Award, Rick Muntean received Co-Executive of the Year, and the team received Organization of the Year. Several league records were set by T-Bones players: Jonathan Krysa set records for innings pitched (165+1⁄3), total batters faced, and games started (24); Rick Prieto set new records for walks (78) and runs (97) while tying the league record for triples (10); and Eddie Pearson set the intentional walks record with 17.
The T-Bones accumulated a 45–49 record in 2005. They finished second in the first half with a record of 27–19, just missing the playoff berth, but never contended in the second half due to the loss of several key players.
In 2006, Jonathan Krysa, a failed 26th round Houston Astros draft pick who lasted only a couple seasons in the minor leagues, was named Northern League Pitcher of the Year with a record of 13–5 and a 3.74 ERA. The T-Bones finished third in both halves of the season. They led the second-half race until the final week, when a disastrous season-ending road trip ended their hopes. On October 16, the T-Bones announced the firing of manager, "Dirty" Al Gallagher, who had been the team's first and only manager. He was replaced by Andy McCauley.
During the 2006 campaign, the team hosted the Northern League All-Star Game on July 18 in front of 5,975 fans. Eight T-Bones were selected to the East Division squad, which won the game 7–6, scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Kansas City closer Byron Embry earned the win and T-Bones infielder Chad Sosebee drove in the winning run.[5] The highlight of the night, though, was the appearance of 94-year-old Buck O'Neil, a former Kansas City Monarchs star who took one at-bat for each side, drawing walks each time. He became the oldest person to ever appear in a professional baseball game.[6]
The team hired former Schaumburg manager Andy McCauley to replace Gallagher in 2007. They began the season with only two players carried over from the previous year, and released them by mid-season for a complete turnover of its 22-man roster. The T-Bones finished deep in last place in the Southern Division in the first half, but moved into the lead during the second half and held that lead until a late-season collapse left them in second-place finish. The team's overall 44–52 record was one game worse than the previous season's franchise record. Despite their finish, the organization was named Northern League Organization of the Year.
In 2008, the Northern League contracted to six teams, and a single-division full season schedule was used. The T-Bones finished only marginally better (46–50) than the two previous seasons, but nonetheless qualified as the fourth team in the playoffs. They swept the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in the best-of-five semifinal round of the playoffs and then defeated the Gary SouthShore RailCats three games to one to win the Northern League championship.
The T-Bones matched their previous season's record (46–50) and finish (fourth in a six-team league) in 2009, but could not advance past the first round, losing that series 3–2 to Gary. Shortly after the end of the season, the team announced that hitting coach Tim Doherty had been promoted to manager for the following season, replacing Andy McCauley.
The Northern League expanded to eight teams again for 2010, but maintained the same playoff format, allowing the top four finishers into the postseason. The T-Bones enjoyed their most successful season under new manager Tim Doherty, winning 58 games and setting a new league record with 162 home runs, exceeding the previous high by more than 30%. They led through much of the year, but faded in the stretch to finish in second place, three games behind Fargo-Moorhead. T-Bones second baseman Jason Blackwood led the Northern League in home runs (31), RBI (86), runs scored (82), hits (141), total bases (271), and slugging percentage (.636) while finishing third in batting average (.331), and was named 2010 Northern League Player of the Year. The team beat the Joliet Jackhammers three games to two in the first round of the playoffs, but were swept in three games by Fargo-Moorhead in the finals. The T-Bones were named Northern League Organization of the Year for the second time in four seasons, and CommunityAmerica Ballpark was named "Northern League Playing Surface of the Year" for the second-straight season.
American Association (2011–present)
On October 13, 2010, the T-Bones left the Northern League, along with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Gary SouthShore RailCats, and the Winnipeg Goldeyes to join the American Association (AA) for the 2011 season.[7] The team fell out of the race early and finished fifth (last) in their division, though their 48–52 record was better than any third-place finisher in the other two divisions. Outfielder Ray Sadler was the offensive leader, hitting .315 with 22 HR (second in the AA) and a league-leading 100 RBI. Outfielder Keanon Simon led the team with a .332 average and tied for the league lead with 16 triples, while catcher Kala Kaaihue tied Sadler with 22 homeruns. Kris Johnson finished third in the AA with a 3.23 ERA.
The T-Bones, in their second year in the American Association, finished second in their division with a 51–49 record, but did not qualify for the 2012 playoffs. This was the first season for the T-Bones under Kenny Hook. The 2013 T-Bones finished in third in their division with a 40–60 record, posting the worst record in franchise history. After the season, manager Kenny Hook's contract was not renewed. In 2014, Kansas City's record improved to 48–52 under first-year manager John Massarelli, finishing third in the Central Division. The 2015 T-Bones were left in a distant second place with a 49–50 record, 26+1⁄2games behind Sioux City. In a tight 2016 Central Division that saw the top three teams finish two games apart, the T-Bones were the lone team left out of the division race, finishing in last place with a 42–58 record. Despite this, second baseman Brett Wiley was named a postseason American Association All-Star. John Massarelli did not return as manager after this season.
Before the 2017 season, the T-Bones hired longtime Can-Am League manager Joe Calfapietra. The move paid immediate dividends as the T-Bones posted their best season since moving to the AA, finishing 57–43, tying the Gary SouthShore RailCats and Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks for the American Association wild card slot. The RailCats, however earned the playoff spot on a tiebreaker. Closer Cody Winiarski was named American Association Reliever of the Year.
In 2018, the T-Bones posted their best season in franchise history, going 62–37. They finished 8+1⁄2games behind Sioux City, but ended 1+1⁄2games ahead of Wichita, securing their first playoff berth since moving to the American Association. They ousted Sioux City in five games, moving on to face St. Paul in the American Association finals, where the T-Bones prevailed in four games for their first AA crown and second league title in franchise history. Pitcher Tommy Collier led the league with 12 wins and 140 strikeouts, while Todd Cunningham was named an American Association Postseason All-Star. Joe Calfapietra earned the Manager of the Year Award.
After trailing by ten games in late July 2019, the T-Bones rallied to capture their first division title, winning the South Division with a 58–42 record, one game ahead of both Sioux City and the Cleburne Railroaders. In the playoffs, Sioux City eliminated Kansas City in four games.
Following years of sliding attendance and mounting debt, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas evicted the T-Bones from T-Bones Stadium on October 14, 2019, for failure to pay nearly US$700,000 of rent and utility payments.[8] Days later, the Unified Government approved a stadium lease with an organization trying to purchase the T-Bones.[9] The purchase was completed, and the new five-year lease has three five-year options.[10]
In 2020, the league announced that the T-Bones were not selected as one of six teams to participate in a condensed season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] They went on hiatus for the season, with plans to return in 2021. The T-Bones partnered with the Unified Government and the Kansas City Royals, the Major League Baseball franchise across the river in neighboring Kansas City, Missouri, to host a group of Royals players and coaches at T-Bones Stadium as the club's "alternate training site" for summer training.[12]
Kansas City won the 2021 American Association championship, going a perfect 6-0 in the postseason and sweeping the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in the best-of-five Finals. The season was highlighted by posting a league-best and franchise-record 69 wins, as well as setting AA records with 149 homers and 664 runs scored. Infielder Ryan Grotjohn and Outfielder Gabriel Guerrero both earned postseason All-Star nods, Joe Calfapietra earned the Manager of the Year nod, and Guerrero was Finals MVP.
The 2022 campaign saw the American Association shuffle divisional alignments from North-South to East-West. Nonetheless, the Monarchs earned a third straight division title with a league-best 65-35 record to take the West crown, only to succumb in the semifinals to eventual champion Fargo-Moorhead. Starting pitcher Matt Hall earned AA Starting Pitcher of the Year honors after posting a league-record 1.10 ERA while the club shattered their own year-old league records by scoring 696 runs and blasting 165 home runs, while also setting league records in slugging percentage (.505), walks (478), grand slams (8), and total bases (1,767).[13]
In 2023, the Monarchs once more took the West with a league-best 59-40 record before going 7-2 through the playoffs, dispatching the Chicago Dogs in four games to win the best-of-five Miles Wolff Cup series, matching the league record set by the Winnipeg Goldeyes with their third American Association title. Catcher Chris Herrmann earned Postseason All-Star honors and was named American Association Player of the Year after slashing .355/.439/.617 with 23 home runs and a league-high 88 RBI.[14] Jan Hernandez took homer Finals MVP honors.
The Northern League was an independent minor professional baseball league. It was not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the organized minor leagues. The league was founded in 1993 and folded after its 2010 season when financial stability became a problem. The three teams remaining in the league when it folded joined with the remaining teams in United League Baseball and the Golden Baseball League to form a new independent organization called the North American League.
The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. Wilkinson was the first white owner at the time of the establishment of the team. In 1930, the Monarchs became the first professional baseball team to use a portable lighting system which was transported from game to game in trucks to play games at night, five years before any Major League Baseball team did. The Monarchs won ten league championships before integration, and triumphed in the first Negro World Series in 1924. The Monarchs had only one season in which they did not have a winning record and produced more major league players than any other Negro league franchise. It was disbanded in 1965.
The Gary SouthShore RailCats are a professional baseball team based in Gary, Indiana, in the United States. The RailCats are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The RailCats started as a member of the Northern League in 2002, operating as a travel team for a season before moving in to U.S. Steel Yard in 2003, where they have played since. In 2011, the team became a member of the modern American Association.
The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a minor-league baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, which they joined in 2011. Previously, the Goldeyes were members of the Northern League from 1994 until 2010. The Goldeyes were champions of the Northern League in 1994. They are also three-time champions of the American Association; having won in 2012, and back-to-back in 2016 and 2017. The team is named after the goldeye, a fish usually served as a smoked delicacy and commonly called Winnipeg goldeye.
The Calgary Vipers were a professional baseball team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They were part of the Western Division of the independent North American League. The Vipers played all of their home games at Foothills Stadium. Previously, the Vipers played in the Northern League from 2005 to 2007. The Vipers were champions of the Golden Baseball League in 2009, having defeated the Tucson Toros in the Championship Series.
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a professional minor-league baseball team based in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States. The RedHawks are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The RedHawks have played their home games at Newman Outdoor Field since 1996, when the team started as members of the Northern League.
The Sioux City Explorers are a professional minor league baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa, in the United States. The Explorers are members American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. Since their inception in 1993, the Explorers have played their home games at Lewis and Clark Park.
Des Moines Menace is an American soccer team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the United States soccer league system. The Menace have had sustained success in USL League Two during their tenure, claiming the USL League Two championship in the 2021 campaign. The Menace also hold three regular season championships, coming in the 2018, 2019, and 2021 campaigns respectively.
The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor league affiliates. Joshua Schaub is the league commissioner. League offices are located in Moorhead, Minnesota. Though a separate entity, the league shared a commissioner and director of umpires with the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball during that league's existence. The American Association of Professional Baseball has 501(c)(6) tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. In 2020, as part of MLB's reorganization of the minor leagues, the American Association, together with the Atlantic League and the Frontier League, became an official MLB Partner League.
The North Dakota State Bison football program represents North Dakota State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level and competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison play in the 19,000-seat Fargodome located in Fargo. The Bison have won 17 national championships and 37 conference championships. They have won nine NCAA Division I AA FCS National Championships between 2011 and 2021. The Bison hold the record for most overall NCAA national championships and the record for the most consecutive championships with five titles between 2011 and 2015 for Division I FCS.
The North Dakota State Bison are the athletic teams of North Dakota State University (NDSU), which is located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota. The teams are often called the "Thundering Herd". The current logo is a bison.
The Bismarck Bobcats are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's (NAHL) Central Division, and play out of Bismarck, North Dakota, in the V.F.W. Sports Center. Originally a part of the American Frontier Hockey League, the Bobcats joined the NAHL in a merger of the two leagues in 2003. In 2005, the Bobcats hosted the Robertson Cup tournament.
The Fargo-Moorhead Twins were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1933 to 1942 and from 1946 to 1960, representing the neighboring cities of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. The Twins won six league championships during their seasons of play. Earlier minor league teams had also represented the cities. Baseball Hall of Fame members Dizzy Dean (1941) and Lloyd Waner (1947) are Fargo-Moorhead Twins alumni, as is 2x AL Most Valuable Player Roger Maris.
Greg Tagert is an American professional baseball coach who is currently the manager for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League. He's most notable as manager for the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association of Professional Baseball, a position he held from 2005 until leaving on February 7, 2022, to join the San Francisco Giants organization.
The Sioux Falls Canaries are a professional baseball team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The Canaries are members of the North Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. Since the 1993 season, the Canaries have played their home games at Sioux Falls Stadium, commonly known as The Birdcage. From 2010 to 2012, the team was called the Sioux Falls Fighting Pheasants.
The Minnesota State–Moorhead Dragons are the athletic teams that represent Minnesota State University Moorhead, located in Moorhead, Minnesota, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Dragons generally compete as members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for all 14 varsity sports.
The Duluth–Superior Dukes were a professional baseball team based in Duluth, Minnesota. The Dukes were a charter member of the modern Northern League, which started play in 1993. The Dukes played their home games at Wade Stadium. After the 2002 season, the Dukes were moved to Kansas City where they were renamed the T-Bones.
David Joerger ( [YAY-ger]) is an American professional basketball coach who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. He was the head coach of the Dakota Wizards from 2000 to 2004 and in 2006–2007 in the International Basketball Association, Continental Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League, winning championships in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2007. He also coached the Sioux Falls Skyforce from 2004 to 2006, winning a championship in 2005. In the NBA, Joerger served as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies from 2013 to 2016, and Sacramento Kings from 2016 to 2019.
The 2022 American Association season is the 17th season of professional baseball in the American Association of Professional Baseball (AA) since its creation in October 2005. There are 12 AA teams, split evenly between the East Division and the West Division.
The 2024 American Association season is the 19th season of professional baseball in the American Association of Professional Baseball (AA) since its creation in October 2005. There are 12 AA teams, split evenly between the East Division and the West Division.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
