Month: September 2022

Monarchs win West Division title

Alex Valdez of the Kansas City Monarchs leaped into the arms of teammate J.C. Escarra after the Monarchs won the West Division title Sept. 5 at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas. The Monarchs won 8-5 over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. (Photo by John Ellis, Kansas City Monarchs)
The Kansas City Monarchs celebrated following their 8-5 win over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Sept. 5 at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by John Ellis, Kansas City Monarchs)

by G.M.W. Vaughan, Monarchs

Both the Kansas City Monarchs (65-35) and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (64-36) came to Legends Field Labor Day Monday with plans to take home the American Association West Division title on the final day of the regular season.

It was the Monarchs who took home the regular season’s top reward with a hard fought 8-5 win in game number 100.

With Nick Belzer getting the start on the mound for the Monarchs and Trevor Simms for the RedHawks, both teams had scoreless first innings. It nearly did not stay that way in the top of the second, when Dylan Harris made a leaping grab at the left field bullpen fence to bring the ball back in and rob Alec Olund of a home run.

In the home half of the second inning, J.C. Escarra started the Monarchs’ offense with a double, followed by a single by Pete Kozma that carried Escarra to third. Harris followed with an RBI single to score Escarra to give the Monarchs the first lead of the game, 1-0.

Nick Novak singled, starting the RedHawk’s offense in the top of the fifth, advancing to second on a stolen base. Peter Maris followed with a single that scored Novak, putting the RedHawks on the board and tying the game, 1-1.

Harris opened the fifth inning with a triple crushed to center field. Darnell Sweeney followed with a single, Ryan Grotjohn with a huge double off the wall that scored both Harris and Sweeney, making the lead 3-1.

In the top of the sixth, Leo Pena advanced to first on a single, followed by a John Siliviano home run to tie the game at 3-3.

Christian Correa opened the seventh inning by advancing to first on a hit by a pitch by reliever Jordan Martinson, followed by a Maris double. Manuel Boscan advanced to first on an error by Casey Gillaspie, scoring Correa and securing the first lead of the game for Fargo-Moorhead. A base hit by Drew Ward scored Maris, adding to the Fargo lead, 5-3.

The Monarchs brought in Brandon Koch to relieve Martinson, and he got out of the inning without any more RedHawks crossing home plate.

The home half of the seventh inning proved explosive for the Monarchs’ offense. Following the seventh inning stretch with Buck O’Neil, Joe Jones took over the mound for Fargo as Ryan Grotjohn restarted the offense for the Monarchs with a lead-off walk.

Jacob Robson then crushed a towering shot over Home Run Patio to tie the game at 5-5. Jan Hernandez advanced to first base after being hit by a pitch, and both Escarra and Harris earned free passes to first. Mallex Smith also walked, scoring Hernandez and grabbing the lead back for the Monarchs, 6-5. Fargo summoned Tanner Riley into the game. Sweeney hit a line drive to center, scoring Escarra and Harris and increasing the Monarchs’ lead to 8-5.

Koch stayed on the mound for the Monarchs as Olund walked to start the eighth. Rymer Liriano singled to first, followed by a Novak walk that Koch argued, leading to his ejection from the game. Pitcher Alex Valdez came in to relieve Koch. Valdez struck out Correa and a double play ball ended the RedHawks’ threat, and the inning ended with an 8-5 lead.

Valdez worked a three up and three down top of the ninth inning to give the Monarchs their 65th win and claim their third straight American Association regular season division title.

Kansas City finished the regular season with the league’s best record and a season-high 30 games above .500. The Monarchs began August with a 1-5 road trip but rebounded to finish 19-5 over their final 24 games.

The Monarchs will play the first game of the American Association Divisional Playoff series against the Lincoln Saltdogs at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 p.m. and the video stream airing on aa baseball.tv.

The Monarchs are scheduled to play games two and three (if necessary) at home at Legends Field in Kansas City on Friday, Sept. 9, and Saturday, Sept. 10, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Tickets to Monarchs playoff games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.

BPU to meet Wednesday

The Board of Public Utilities will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7.

On the agenda for the regular meeting are a public comment time; a presentation by Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group Inc.; general manager and staff reports; July financial report; a customer service quarterly update; miscellaneous comments and board comments.

The public may join the board meetings, and also may access the meetings through the telephone to listen in or through the internet, through Zoom meeting.

Board meetings are held at the board offices at 540 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.

To hear the meeting through Zoom, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84523139724.

To access through the telephone, call toll-free 1-888-475-4499.

The meeting ID number is 845 2313 9724.

The board meeting information packet is available online at https://www.bpu.com/Portals/0/pdf/board-information-packet-9-7-22.pdf.


For more information, visit https://www.bpu.com/About/MediaNewsReleases/September7thBPUBoardMeetingNotice.aspx.

Governor celebrates cancer center’s national recognition

Gov. Laura Kelly recently signed a proclamation at the University of Kansas Cancer Center that September is “Comprehensive Cancer Centers Awareness Month.” (Photo from Gov. Kelly’s office)

Gov. Laura Kelly recently joined leaders at the University of Kansas Cancer Center to proclaim September “Comprehensive Cancer Centers Awareness Month” in honor of the Cancer Center recently being awarded the highest level of recognition by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

In addition to comprehensive status, the KU Cancer Center was awarded a five-year, $13.8 million grant to support the center’s research programs.

“This proclamation celebrates that right here in Kansas, the University of Kansas Cancer Center is providing expert care and putting us on track to conquer cancer – the number one cause of death in our state,” Gov. Kelly said.

While emphasizing that cancer touches everyone, the governor shared that her aunt passed away from breast cancer at 36 years old.

“I can’t help feeling that if my aunt had been diagnosed today and had access to the cutting-edge research and treatment available at the KU Cancer Center, that she would have lived a good long life,” Gov. Kelly said. “Thousands of people are alive today because of this world-class facility.”

In 2020, Gov. Kelly signed a budget that included $5 million for the KU Cancer Center Research Fund to further the center’s application for the NCI designation.

“The state of Kansas has been a longtime supporter of The University of Kansas Cancer Center. In 2007, the state established a line item in the state budget in support of cancer center obtaining National Cancer Institute designation. Their early support catalyzed the growth of the cancer center, and they have continued to be crucial partners over the years,” said Dr. Roy Jensen, director of the KU Cancer Center. “We are enormously grateful to Governor Kelly, as well as our legislators, for their additional support beginning in 2020 that was instrumental in helping us achieve Comprehensive designation from the NCI.”

The KU Cancer Center has drastically improved cancer care in Kansas. In 2004, 15 percent of Kansas left the state for cancer care. Today, only 7.5 percent do.

“The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s successful effort to win Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute is the most significant achievement in Kansas public health in the last 50 years,” said Fred Logan, chair of the Masonic Cancer Alliance Advisory Board, the KU Cancer Center’s outreach network. “The benefits to public health in our state will be enormous.  Yes, there will be advances in cancer care but there will also be public health advances that would not have been possible without the KU Cancer effort.”

Gov. Kelly also emphasized the Cancer Center’s economic impact on the state. Since beginning its work toward NCI Designation in 2007, the center has contributed an estimated $2.5 billion to the region – adding to the Kelly administration’s efforts to spur job creation and economic growth in Kansas.

  • Information from Gov. Kelly’s office