KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City T-Bones of the American independent association are renamed the Kansas City Monarchs after the team that played in the Black Leagues.
The Black League Baseball Museum has signed a licensing agreement with MaxFun Entertainment, from Mark Brandmeyer, the owner of the minor league team.
The original monarchs were founded in 1920 and won the first series of the Black League in 1924. The team played in the Black National League from 1920 to 1931 and in the Black American League from 1937 to 1961, with independent periods from 1932 to 1936 and 1962 to 1965.
“This exciting partnership celebrates Kansas City’s rich baseball heritage and becomes an important extension of the work we do to educate the public about the history of Black Leagues,” Black League Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick said Thursday. “We are excited that the proud legacy of the great monarchs of Kansas City will re-enter the field and look forward to sharing our story with a multitude of opportunities made possible by this historic alliance.
A satellite exhibition of the museum is planned to travel with the team, which intends to set up a Monarchs youth academy for baseball and softball.