Category: T-Bones

UG Commission approves new video board for CommunityAmerica Ballpark

The Unified Government Commission approved plans for a new state-of-the-art video board at CommunityAmerica Ballpark for the 2015 season.

The UG Commission voted to approve the new scoreboard at the Thursday night, Jan. 22, UG Commission meeting, without discussing it. Discussion was held at the Jan. 5 UG Economic Development and Finance standing committee meeting.

According to UG agenda information, the video scoreboard is estimated to cost between $400,000 and $450,000. The UG had budgeted $250,000 for T-Bones’ stadium improvements this year, so the budget had to be increased about $250,000 on Thursday. The money will not come from taxpayers’ funds or from the UG general fund; it will come from a fund that already has been designated to pay for stadium upkeep, UG officials said at the Jan. 5 meeting.

The new scoreboard would be expected to last about 10 years, according to officials’ remarks during the Jan. 5 meeting. They will gain the opportunity to have more electronic advertising on the scoreboard with the change, officials said. During the public comment period Jan. 5, a candidate for UG office, Christal Watson, suggested offering naming rights to the scoreboard in order to help pay for it; however that suggestion was not added to the proposal.

The T-Bones on Friday sent out a news release about the new video board:

“For the last 12 years the T-Bones have showcased world-class baseball entertainment for residents and visitors to our city,” Mayor Mark Holland said in a news release from the T-Bones. “The new HD video board is another step in their continued offering of a great, family-friendly entertainment option in our community that all can enjoy. I can’t wait for opening day!”

The high-definition video board, which will be installed where the current scoreboard stands, will measure approximately 36 feet wide and 30 feet tall. It will be more than four times larger than the current video board.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with city staff, Mayor Holland’s administration and the Board of Commissioners,” said T-Bones president Adam Ehlert. “The cooperative effort reinforces our commitment that T-Bones Baseball is a cornerstone of affordable, family-oriented entertainment in the metropolitan area.”

Daktronics will design, manufacture and install the energy-efficient video board, which will replace the scoreboard that’s been used at CommunityAmerica Ballpark since the stadium opened in 2003.

“This will have a huge, positive impact on our fan experience at the ballpark,” said T-Bones vice president and general manager Chris Browne. “It’s not only a great enhancement to the gameday presentation, but it also provides our partners with an improved platform to get their message across. Our fans are going to love it.”

Construction will begin in February.

Architectural renderings of the new scoreboard will be available in the upcoming weeks.

The new video board is slated to be ready when the T-Bones open the 2015 regular season on May 22 against Lincoln.

T-Bones add left-handed pitcher; sign two catchers

The Kansas City T-Bones announced that they have signed pitcher Kyle Gehrs and catcher Jake Taylor, and re-signed catcher Chris Bianchi to contracts for the 2015 season.

Gehrs is a 5-foot-9 and 175-pound left-handed pitcher from Grain Valley, Mo. He signed with the Houston Astros in 2014 as an undrafted free agent, and went 1-0 with a 4.95 ERA in 16 appearances — all in relief — for Houston’s Gulf Coast (rookie) club.

In 20 innings, Gehrs struck out 16 and walked 11. Gehrs, who went to Truman High School, finished his collegiate career last May at Central Missouri State, where he was a first-team All-MIAA selection. Gehrs went to Oklahoma State out of high school before eventually transferring to Central Missouri.

“Kyle will come in and compete for a spring training spot,” said T-Bones manager John Massarelli.

The T-Bones acquired the rights to Taylor from St. Paul in October in exchange for a player to be determined.

Taylor, who’s 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, batted .283 with 63 hits, including 10 doubles, a career-best nine home runs and a career-high 34 RBIs in 61 games for the Saints in 2014. Prior to spending last season in St. Paul, Taylor played two seasons (2012-13) with Sioux Falls, one season with Grand Prairie and one with Oakland County of the Frontier League.

Bianchi, a rookie who’s 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, batted .143 in 10 games in 2014 after signing with the T-Bones in late July. He finished his collegiate career last spring at Trinity University, where he was selected as a member of the All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference team.

The T-Bones open the 2015 regular season at home on May 22 against Lincoln.

– Story from Matt Fulks, senior director of broadcasting and media relations for the T-Bones.

Defensive player of year signs again with T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones have re-signed Vladimir Frias to a contract for the 2015 season.

Frias, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound switch-hitter from Los Alcanzzas, Dominican Republic, played in 91 games at shortstop for Kansas City during the 2014 season.

He batted .273 with 20 doubles, 23 stolen bases, 43 RBIs and 33 runs scored.

Frias, who became known for his dazzling defensive plays for the T-Bones, was the club’s 2014 Defensive Player of the Year.

“We’re very excited to get Vladdy back to anchor the middle of our defense,” said T-Bones manager John Massarelli.

The San Francisco Giants drafted Frias in the 30th round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft out of Tennessee Wesleyan College.

Frias, who reached triple-A Fresno in 2009 and has played in the Chicago Cubs’ organization, also, is a career .246 hitter with 429 hits, 78 doubles, 14 triples, 19 home runs, 165 RBIs and 99 stolen bases in seven professional seasons.

The T-Bones open the 2015 regular season at home on May 22 against Lincoln.

– Story from Matt Fulks, T-Bones senior director of broadcasting and media relations