Category: T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones will play a 100-game schedule for the 2019 season beginning at 7:05 p.m. Friday, May 17.

Fargo-Moorhead will be the first opponent of the year, and opening night will include a pre-game ring and trophy presentation followed by a championship flag ceremony.

“We’re thrilled to be able to open the season at home and to raise the American Association pennant at T-Bones Stadium. We look forward to celebrating the championship with our fans, partners and Kansas City overall, all summer long. I can’t wait for May to get here,” said Chris Browne, T-Bones vice president and general manager.

Prior to the regular season, the team will hold five home exhibition games, starting with the annual preseason matchup vs. the Lee’s Summit Monarchs on May 7. The T-Bones will face Gary on May 8 and 9, and on May 13 and 14 the T-Bones will welcome Winnipeg to close out the exhibition season. All preseason games are set to start at 7:05 p.m.

The 2019 season will feature a two-division format where the T-Bones will be joined in the South Division by Cleburne and Texas along with longtime rivals Lincoln and Sioux City.

The final piece of the Southern Division of the American Association includes the addition of Sioux Falls, who replaces a Wichita team that will not be returning to the league in 2019.

The Northern Division with see the addition of Milwaukee for their first season, joining second-season member Chicago. The rest of the North Division consists of long-time league members St. Paul, Fargo, Gary and Winnipeg.

All 11 American Association opponents, including the league’s newest addition, the Milwaukee Milkmen, will visit T-Bones Stadium in 2019.

The T-Bones will face four of the five Southern Division clubs in four series, two home and two away—except for Sioux Falls. KC will travel to Sioux Falls only once, but they will play host to the Canaries twice.

The T-Bones will also play a home and away series with each member club of the Northern Division except for Fargo-Moorhead.

In addition, Kansas City will face St. Paul on the road at CHS Field in two separate road series that will look much like a rematch of the 2018 American Association Championship Series. The top two teams from each division will meet in the best-of-5 semifinals, with the winners meeting in the best-of-5 championship series.

The club will celebrate all three major summer holidays at home in 2019: Memorial Day, May 27; Independence Day, July 4 and Labor Day, Sept. 2. The month-by-month breakdown of the 50 home games includes the following: (11) home games in May, (11) in June, (14) in July, (12) in August and (2) in September.

The T-Bones will have eight weekend series at home, one more than in 2018. The T-Bones will also have 26 home games in June and July, and 14 dates at home in August and September.

The T-Bones longest home stand is seven games from May 27 to June 2, and the club will have one six-game homestand in May, June, July and August during the 2019 season. The T-Bones schedule highlights six Throwdown Thursday nights with $1.50 beers and $1.50 hot dogs and three holiday fireworks shows July 3, July 4, and Sept. 1.

The standard game times remain the same, 7:05 p.m. Monday -Saturday and 1:05 p.m. on Sunday. Game time exceptions include these dates:

Wednesday, June 19, 11:05 a.m. – Kids Summer Camp day
Thursday, August 22, 11:05 a.m. – 2nd annual STEM Educational Day with the T-Bones
Sunday, Sept. 1, 7:05 p.m. – Labor Day giant post game fireworks
Monday, Sept. 2, 1:05 p.m. – Labor Day Matinee Game
The full season and nightly promotions calendar will be announced later this offseason.

The complete game schedule is at http://tbonesbaseball.com.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/PDFS/2019%20Schedule.pdf.

2019 full and half-season ticket packages, as well as mini plans, are on sale now online or by calling 913-328-5618 or visiting the T-Bones Stadium offices. Group ticket sales for renewing accounts are on sale now, while new group ticket sales will open to the general public on Dec. 11.

– Information from T-Bones

The Cincinnati Reds have purchased the contract of left-handed pitcher Nick Lee, according to a Kansas City T-Bones announcement.

Lee is the first T-Bones player to have his contract purchased this off-season. This off-season followed a busy championship regular season where Kansas City had 8 players’ contracts sold to affiliated clubs and another pair of players signed with AAA Mexico, all en route to winning the American Association Championship.

Nick Lee was signed by the T-Bones on July 4, 2018, and went on to post a 3.26 ERA in 19.1 innings with 21 strike outs.

During a 10-game streak from July 6 through July 29, Lee allowed only one earned run over 12 innings. He finished the season strong, working his last 7.2 innings of relief, giving up only one earned run while striking out eight in the crucial stretch drive of the playoffs for KC. The left-handed pitcher was pivotal in the T-Bones’ game four championship series, working 1.2 inning of scoreless relief in a 5-3 Kansas City win over St. Paul.

Lee was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 18th round of the 2011 MLB June draft out of Weatherford College (Texas) and spent parts of seven seasons with the Nationals organization, reaching AA. He spent 2013 with A (Full) Hagerstown in the South Atlantic League.

While with the Suns, he pitched 19 games, posting a 3.96 ERA in 91 innings with a 6-4 record. Lee split time between three different teams in 2014. He started the year with the Nationals of the Gulf Coast League. While there he pitched 8 innings with a 6.75 ERA. He then moved on to A (adv) Potomac of the Carolina League, pitching five games with a 10.05 ERA and an 0-2 record. He finished the season with A (Full) Hagerstown, pitching 8.1 innings with a 7.56 ERA and a 1-0 record.

Lee split time again in 2015, starting the season with Potomac in the Carolina League. He pitched 20 games, posting a 2.57 ERA in 28 innings with 28 strikeouts. Lee ended the season with AA Harrisburg in the Eastern League. He pitched 20 games posting a 3.75.

Lee is a native of San Antonio, Texas, and was a standout at James Madison High School in the “Alamo City.” He was drafted out of high school in the 38th round but did not sign in 2010 by the Nationals. He is the 39th player to have his contract purchased while as a member of the T-Bones.

Other T-Bones players whose contracts were purchased during 2018 included Dylan Tice, New York Mets; Taylor Featherston, Cincinnati Reds; Joe Filomeno, Seattle Mariners; Nick Torres, Texas Rangers; Carlos Diaz, Cincinnati Reds; James Buckalew, Chicago Cubs; Adam Brett Walker, Washington National; and Cody Martin, New York Mets.

The T-Bones wrapped up their first American Association title in 2018, picking up the franchise’s second crown in three championship appearances overall. For season ticket and other ticket plans, visit www.tbonesbaseball.com or call 913-328-5618.

– Story from T-Bones