Tag: Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs will start the 2021 season on Tuesday, May 18, against the Lincoln Saltdogs, according to an announcement Friday.

The opening day game begins at 3 p.m. at the Legends Field at 1800 Village West Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas.

The Monarchs, formerly known as the T-Bones, were rebranded earlier this year. They are planning a 100-game season in the American Association.

“Seeing the Monarchs finally take the field will be a dream come true,” Monarchs owner Mark Brandmeyer said in a news release. “I’m excited to see our fans out at the ballpark, and we are committed to creating a world-class experience on and off the field.”

After not competing in 2020 due to the pandemic, the Monarchs will see American Association Southern Division foes Cleburne, Houston, Lincoln, Sioux City, and Sioux Falls 38 times this season at Legends Field. Fans will be welcome at the stadium with a total attendance per game in accordance with state and local protocols and guidelines.

For 2021, 65% of all Monarchs home games fall on a weekend date (Friday, Saturday or Sunday) including action-packed holiday weekends when the team plays Memorial Day (May 31) versus Sioux Falls, Father’s Day (June 20) also against Winnipeg and Fourth of July weekend (July 2-4) versus rival Lincoln.

“Our entire organization, especially myself, our coaches and players are extremely excited to see baseball on the schedule for 2021 and Opening Day in sight,” Joe Calfapietra, Monarchs manager, said. “Our league is as strong as ever. Less than 100 days now until Opening Day 2021- see you at the ballpark!”

Kansas City will conclude the 2021 regular season with a four-game series at Cleburne from Sept. 3 through Labor Day.

The entire schedule can be found at www.monarchsbaseball.com. Comprehensive game times, special events and promotions calendar will be released at a later date.

For up-to-date information on specials, promotions and merchandise offerings throughout the season, fans can engage with the team via the new team website at www.monarchsbaseball.com and on Facebook (Kansas City Monarchs Baseball) and other social media. For ticket information, call 913-328-5618 or visit monarchsbaseball.com.

• Information from Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs have signed a former Kansas City Royals World Series player, infielder Christian Colon, for the 2021 season.

Colon drove in the tying run for the Royals with a one-out single in the bottom of the 12th inning at the 2014 Wild Card game. He also scored the winning run on Salvador Perez’s two-out single.

Colon also drove in the winning run for the Royals in the 12th inning of Game 5 for the World Championship in 2015.

Colon, 31, played with the Cincinnati Reds in the 2020 season, which was shortened because of COVID-19.

From Cayey, Puerto Rico, Colon was selected by the Royals in the first round of the 2010 first-year player draft out of Cal State-Fullerton. Colon was ranked the Royals’ No. 9 prospect heading into the 2012 season by MLB.com. He made his major league debut on July 1, 2014. Colon also has played for the Miami Marlins.

According to Monarchs Manager Joe Calfapietra, Colon is the teammate everyone sees as a winner. His coaches and teammates have always had a tremendous amount of respect for him as a person and a player. He is very unselfish, cares about people, makes everyone around him better, according to the manager.

“This guy’s been a good player for a long time. He has been on championship teams, including the Royals,” Calfapietra said.

“I look forward to this opportunity,” Colon said. “Kansas City is so special to me and my family – I love the people and the winning culture we have.

“All of you guys know things are changing in baseball and I’ve always played for the love of the game not the money,” Colon said. “ I want an opportunity to prove once again that I have a lot of baseball left. I take pride in what I do, and I know there are a lot of unknowns, but I am going to give it all I have. I look forward to being a part of the community again. Interaction with the kids and the people from Kansas City is a blessing. To be able to share not only my baseball journey and stories but also my personal story. Thank you to Joe and the Kansas City Monarchs organization for this opportunity.”

The Monarchs, formerly the T-Bones, are expected to start the regular season in May, according to the American Association schedule.

The Monarchs will continue play at the same location, now Legends Field, 1800 Village West Parkway. For more information about the Monarchs, visit monarchsbaseball.com.