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The Kansas City T-Bones are a member of the Northern Independent Baseball League. They play at Community America Ballpark Kansas City, KS, which opened in 2003 seating 6,537 when the team moved from Duluth, MN. The team and stadium are totally financed and controlled by the owner. The Northern League is considered to be between Single A and Double A depending on the starting pitcher. The League has 10 teams this year and will add Edmonton and Calgary next year. We were impressed with the facilities. It has a brick exterior with wrought iron fencing. It is one level with all seats. The suites and press box are above a very wide concourse. There is lawn seating in right field and at the end of the third baseline. There is a tented picnic area behind the batter's eye screen in center field which can be used by groups or individuals. There are picnic tables at the end of the first baseline. A really nice indoor batting cage is in a building behind the right field grass seating with the clubhouses behind it in the same building. The bullpens are end to end on a slant in left center behind the fence. The main scoreboard is in right field. There is a small digital one on the left field fence with batter's game statistics and time. The Northern League teams play a 96 game season that started May 11th. The T-Bones were playing the Schaumburg Flyers from Illinois. The T-Bones lost 9-2. The box score was Flyers R-9, H-13, E-0 and T-Bones R-2, H-5, E-3. The T-Bones defense was not very good. The field lines are RF-328', RC-409', CF-396', LC-411'-347'-352' (because of bullpens), LF-300'. A UPS delivery person delivers the ball for the first pitch to Sizzle, the mascot, who then throws it. Sizzle is a red bull who is a good fan interactor. He needed a rest at the end of the game and put his feet up on Andrea. The team store is the Meat Locker. One between-inning activity has 11 contestants each with a possible dice number who if their number is rolled gets a chance to pick another number to be rolled and hopefully win. A second activity has a youngster try to throw a stuffed toy hamburger into a basketball basket. The announcer is doubled over laughing because the little boy went closer, without permission, to hit the basket and he did. If a player hits a ball through the bull's eye a specific seat occupant wins $1,000,000. Three people get a chance to throw a ball through the eye and I think win $1,000 if successful. Someone told Mike Meyer, Director of Corporate Partnerships that we were in the park and he came up to us at one of the concession stands. We talked for awhile, he got a program for us, and said the radio announcer might want to talk to us. We went up to the booth for the top of the 7th inning and Loren Foxx, Director of Media Relations and his partner talked with Jim during the inning between the play by play about our trip. Loren is on the left in the picture. Mike got a game ball for us at the end of the game. We would like to thank both Mike and Loren. The T-Boneless Steak on an onion roll sandwich is shown because it is an outstanding meal. The hotdog vendor wears a hotdog hat. Sammy(Uncle Sam), is the guy driving the little car. He does stunts outside the park and some times drives on the field. The steer is an Irish Dexter and is full grown at about 420 pounds. They want to train it to pull a cart and maybe deliver balls to the umpire. 2011 team moves to the American Association of Independent Baseball when Northern League folds. |
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Attractions
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Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth -Established in 1827 to guard the Santa Fe and Oregon trails, the fort is the oldest active Army post west of the Mississippi River. Photo ID required to enter. There is a self-guided driving tour of the fort.
On the fort is the Frontier Army Museum - Exhibits provide insight into the founding and development of Fort Leavenworth, the history of the frontier army and the Civil, Mexican and Indian wars.
Just north of Fort Leavenworth is the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.
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