KANSAS CITY, Ma. The Kansas City T-Bones of the Independent American Association are renamed the Kansas City Monarchs after the team that played in the Negro League.
The Baseball Museum of the Negro Leagues has signed a licensing agreement with Mark Brandmeyer’s MaxFun Entertainment, owner of the minor team.
The original Monarchs was founded in 1920 and won the first Negro League World Series in 1924. The team played in the Negro National League from 1920 to 1931 and the Negro 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 a major extension of the work we do to teach the public about the history of the Negro Leagues,” said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Said in a statement Thursday. “We are delighted that the proud legacy of the great Kansas City Monarchs will take the field again and look forward to sharing our story through a myriad of opportunities made possible by this historic alliance.”
A museum satellite exhibit is planned to travel with the team, which aims to set up a Monarchs youth academy for baseball and softball.