KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? Coming to a Kansas City stadium located closer to you than Kauffman Stadium are the T-Bones, a professional baseball franchise that will never be confused with the Royals.
Unless you consider the Royals a minor-league team. Yuk. Yuk.
The T-Bones are definitely minor league. Their roster will be composed of young unwanted wannabes, older no-longer wanteds and washed-up former major leaguers.
And you know what? You’re going to love them. At least that’s what the T-Bones’ management hopes. They didn’t move their franchise from Duluth, Minn., to Wyandotte County in order to play in front of empty seats.
The T-Bones won’t play an inning in their new under-construction stadium down the road from Kansas Speedway, Cabela’s and the Nebraska Furniture Mart until June 6, but on Wednesday afternoon they unveiled their new logo and an architect’s rendering of their new stadium and introduced manager Al Gallagher, a 56-year-old former major leaguer, mostly with the San Francisco Giants.
“Are we in competition with the Royals?” Gallagher asked rhetorically. “Absolutely not. We both promote the greatest sport in America.”
Furthermore, said Gallagher, “There isn’t a player on our team who doesn’t want to play for the Royals, and not one member of the Royals who wants to play for the T-Bones at $750 a month.”
Independent league baseball, only about a decade old, was fueled by a late 20th century renaissance of minor-league baseball. All over the country, crowds grew in the bush leagues when owners discovered fans would come to the ballpark ” even pay major-league concession prices ” if they had fun.
Thus evolved such between-inning frivolities as dizzy-bat races, kids racing the team mascot around the bases, trivia contests, guess the attendance, the dirtiest-car-in-the-parking-lot prize, and so on. Then they put in picnic areas and children’s playgrounds and the fans continued to come.
None of this has been lost on the T-Bones’ management which promises its new, cozy 4,500-seat stadium ” still unnamed as the search for corporate sponsor continues ” will be accessible, comfortable and convenient.
“Ninety-five percent of the tickets will be under $10,” said Adam Ehlert, the T-Bones general manager. “There’ll be free parking and most seats will be 21 inches wide. And there will be more leg room. You won’t have to stand up so people can walk in front of you.”
One of those seats was on display Wednesday and it was green. Can you imagine that? Once upon a time every seat in every baseball stadium in America was green.
Yet you won’t have to buy a seat to a T-Bones game. You can bring a blanket and sit on a grass berm in the outfield. Most people would shudder at the thought of taking toddlers to Royals Stadium, but toddlers are a delight on outfield berms. Believe me. I’ve done it.
Also, the T-Bones’ facility will have the obligatory picnic and children’s play areas plus a children’s concession stand with a low window so the kiddies can make their own purchases.
Ehlert described the diamond itself as “quirky” because the left field foul pole will be only 300 feet from home plate, but will have an 18-foot high fence ” no berm watchers there, of course ” and will feature an incongruous notch in left between the bullpens.
“We think there will be a lot of inside-the-park home runs hit there,” Ehlert said. “We think we’ll hit most of them because the other teams’ outfielders won’t be used to it.”
New franchises in new stadiums are traditionally successfully and I’m sure many Lawrence people will contribute to the T-Bones’ inevitable popularity next summer. You can’t overlook the geography factor. Kauffman Stadium is about twice as far from Lawrence as the T-Bones’ ballyard.
My only complaint with T-Bones management is their overkill of the beef theme. They’re calling their ticket packages Choice, Select and Prime. They’re inviting you to “Steak Your Claim” to inaugural season tickets. And their slogan is “Fun Well Done.”
Enough of the bull. Let’s play ball.
KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? Coming to a Kansas City stadium located closer to you than Kauffman Stadium are the T-Bones, a professional baseball franchise that will never be confused with the Royals.
Unless you consider the Royals a minor-league team. Yuk. Yuk.
The T-Bones are definitely minor league. Their roster will be composed of young unwanted wannabes, older no-longer wanteds and washed-up former major leaguers.
And you know what? You’re going to love them. At least that’s what the T-Bones’ management hopes. They didn’t move their franchise from Duluth, Minn., to Wyandotte County in order to play in front of empty seats.
The T-Bones won’t play an inning in their new under-construction stadium down the road from Kansas Speedway, Cabela’s and the Nebraska Furniture Mart until June 6, but on Wednesday afternoon they unveiled their new logo and an architect’s rendering of their new stadium and introduced manager Al Gallagher, a 56-year-old former major leaguer, mostly with the San Francisco Giants.
“Are we in competition with the Royals?” Gallagher asked rhetorically. “Absolutely not. We both promote the greatest sport in America.”
Furthermore, said Gallagher, “There isn’t a player on our team who doesn’t want to play for the Royals, and not one member of the Royals who wants to play for the T-Bones at $750 a month.”
Independent league baseball, only about a decade old, was fueled by a late 20th century renaissance of minor-league baseball. All over the country, crowds grew in the bush leagues when owners discovered fans would come to the ballpark ” even pay major-league concession prices ” if they had fun.
Thus evolved such between-inning frivolities as dizzy-bat races, kids racing the team mascot around the bases, trivia contests, guess the attendance, the dirtiest-car-in-the-parking-lot prize, and so on. Then they put in picnic areas and children’s playgrounds and the fans continued to come.
None of this has been lost on the T-Bones’ management which promises its new, cozy 4,500-seat stadium ” still unnamed as the search for corporate sponsor continues ” will be accessible, comfortable and convenient.
“Ninety-five percent of the tickets will be under $10,” said Adam Ehlert, the T-Bones general manager. “There’ll be free parking and most seats will be 21 inches wide. And there will be more leg room. You won’t have to stand up so people can walk in front of you.”
One of those seats was on display Wednesday and it was green. Can you imagine that? Once upon a time every seat in every baseball stadium in America was green.
Yet you won’t have to buy a seat to a T-Bones game. You can bring a blanket and sit on a grass berm in the outfield. Most people would shudder at the thought of taking toddlers to Royals Stadium, but toddlers are a delight on outfield berms. Believe me. I’ve done it.
Also, the T-Bones’ facility will have the obligatory picnic and children’s play areas plus a children’s concession stand with a low window so the kiddies can make their own purchases.
Ehlert described the diamond itself as “quirky” because the left field foul pole will be only 300 feet from home plate, but will have an 18-foot high fence ” no berm watchers there, of course ” and will feature an incongruous notch in left between the bullpens.
“We think there will be a lot of inside-the-park home runs hit there,” Ehlert said. “We think we’ll hit most of them because the other teams’ outfielders won’t be used to it.”
New franchises in new stadiums are traditionally successfully and I’m sure many Lawrence people will contribute to the T-Bones’ inevitable popularity next summer. You can’t overlook the geography factor. Kauffman Stadium is about twice as far from Lawrence as the T-Bones’ ballyard.
My only complaint with T-Bones management is their overkill of the beef theme. They’re calling their ticket packages Choice, Select and Prime. They’re inviting you to “Steak Your Claim” to inaugural season tickets. And their slogan is “Fun Well Done.”
Enough of the bull. Let’s play ball.
KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? Coming to a Kansas City stadium located closer to you than Kauffman Stadium are the T-Bones, a professional baseball franchise that will never be confused with the Royals.
Unless you consider the Royals a minor-league team. Yuk. Yuk.
The T-Bones are definitely minor league. Their roster will be composed of young unwanted wannabes, older no-longer wanteds and washed-up former major leaguers.
And you know what? You’re going to love them. At least that’s what the T-Bones’ management hopes. They didn’t move their franchise from Duluth, Minn., to Wyandotte County in order to play in front of empty seats.
The T-Bones won’t play an inning in their new under-construction stadium down the road from Kansas Speedway, Cabela’s and the Nebraska Furniture Mart until June 6, but on Wednesday afternoon they unveiled their new logo and an architect’s rendering of their new stadium and introduced manager Al Gallagher, a 56-year-old former major leaguer, mostly with the San Francisco Giants.
“Are we in competition with the Royals?” Gallagher asked rhetorically. “Absolutely not. We both promote the greatest sport in America.”
Furthermore, said Gallagher, “There isn’t a player on our team who doesn’t want to play for the Royals, and not one member of the Royals who wants to play for the T-Bones at $750 a month.”
Independent league baseball, only about a decade old, was fueled by a late 20th century renaissance of minor-league baseball. All over the country, crowds grew in the bush leagues when owners discovered fans would come to the ballpark ” even pay major-league concession prices ” if they had fun.
Thus evolved such between-inning frivolities as dizzy-bat races, kids racing the team mascot around the bases, trivia contests, guess the attendance, the dirtiest-car-in-the-parking-lot prize, and so on. Then they put in picnic areas and children’s playgrounds and the fans continued to come.
None of this has been lost on the T-Bones’ management which promises its new, cozy 4,500-seat stadium ” still unnamed as the search for corporate sponsor continues ” will be accessible, comfortable and convenient.
“Ninety-five percent of the tickets will be under $10,” said Adam Ehlert, the T-Bones general manager. “There’ll be free parking and most seats will be 21 inches wide. And there will be more leg room. You won’t have to stand up so people can walk in front of you.”
One of those seats was on display Wednesday and it was green. Can you imagine that? Once upon a time every seat in every baseball stadium in America was green.
Yet you won’t have to buy a seat to a T-Bones game. You can bring a blanket and sit on a grass berm in the outfield. Most people would shudder at the thought of taking toddlers to Royals Stadium, but toddlers are a delight on outfield berms. Believe me. I’ve done it.
Also, the T-Bones’ facility will have the obligatory picnic and children’s play areas plus a children’s concession stand with a low window so the kiddies can make their own purchases.
Ehlert described the diamond itself as “quirky” because the left field foul pole will be only 300 feet from home plate, but will have an 18-foot high fence ” no berm watchers there, of course ” and will feature an incongruous notch in left between the bullpens.
“We think there will be a lot of inside-the-park home runs hit there,” Ehlert said. “We think we’ll hit most of them because the other teams’ outfielders won’t be used to it.”
New franchises in new stadiums are traditionally successfully and I’m sure many Lawrence people will contribute to the T-Bones’ inevitable popularity next summer. You can’t overlook the geography factor. Kauffman Stadium is about twice as far from Lawrence as the T-Bones’ ballyard.
My only complaint with T-Bones management is their overkill of the beef theme. They’re calling their ticket packages Choice, Select and Prime. They’re inviting you to “Steak Your Claim” to inaugural season tickets. And their slogan is “Fun Well Done.”
Enough of the bull. Let’s play ball.
