A Night at Legends Field - Kansas City Monarchs Baseball

 About a month ago, McKinley picked “The Sandlot” as our movie night flick, and though we’ve watched it a handful of times, I never noticed that one of the characters wore a KC Monarch hat. We explained to McKinley the significance of the ball cap and what the Negro league represented. My husband informed us that we have a “new” ball club as of 2021 and they are called the Kansas City Monarchs. Formerly the T-Bones, this current Monarch team is playing in the newly named Legends Field, and they have partnered with the Negro League Baseball Museum to pay homage to the original Kansas City Monarchs. The new franchise is part of the American Association of Professional Baseball, which as of 2020, is now affiliated with Major League Baseball. 

Back to “The Sandlot” for a minute. Here is a super fun fact. Actor Brandon Adams, from Topeka, KS, played Kenny DeNunez in the movie. The props master for the film was a major baseball fan, and with DeNunez being from Kansas, he selected the iconic ball cap as a piece of this characters costume. Second fun fact, I received an email the next morning from the Kansas City Monarchs informing me of the newly revamped ballpark, its family friendly atmosphere, a little history behind the new league, and asked would we be interested in coming out to Legends Field to take it all in in person. Um, yes, we would!

Before I share how cool this park is, I want to provide some history behind the original Kansas City Monarch franchise. The Monarchs played in Kansas City from 1920-1965 and they were the longest running franchise in the history of the Negro leagues. They won 10 league championships, the Negro World Series titles in 1924 and 1942, and produced more major league players than any other league in the franchise before the league was disbanded in 1965. Some of the larger names to come out of the Negro league were Jackie Robinson, Satchel Page, and Ernie Banks, all who I knew of by name, but had no idea they got their start here in Kansas City. And we have to add Buck O’Neil to this list of baseball greats.

The new Legends Field is a small but impressive stadium. Upon entry, you feel a sense of community. A laid back, chill vibe. A gathering spot of family and friends. We walked through the main gate and stepped on to the plaza, a cozy spot lined with patio lights, sporadically placed tables and chairs with synthetic turf under each, and a beverage station all allowing for a little lounging before the game. The concourse is lined with vendors offering something for every taste bud, the Team Store where we picked up official Monarch merchandise, a beer park and daiquiri stand offering mixed drinks, draft beers (Mama picked up a Blue Moon with an orange slice), and daiquiris. 

There’s a family friendly park located in the outfield that is just as much fun for big and little kids alike! High top tables allow for fans to hang out with friends, while still keeping an eye on the game, but where you can also partake in a serious game of Corn Hole or ping pong. Kids can run crazy on the playground or take someone on in a life size game of Connect Four. Or simply relax in an Adirondack chair under the summer sky. Truly a special spot within the ballpark.

Watch players warm up in their batting cages, moments before the game, right behind the outfield. The sidewalk is lined with benches for fans to gather. Also, hang out before or after the game and you may just catch a glimpse of your favorite players. We got to take in a little bit of the action before the game, but my husband and I both agreed, this probably wasn’t the best time to take photos. Let them get ready for the game ahead. I gotta say, it was super cool to be that close to a warmup though. You’ve got to check that out for sure!

We finally took our seats for the announcement of the startling lineup. The current roster are former T-Bone players, with the manager of the team in his sixth season. And a surprise to both me and my husband is that Frank White is the Monarchs first base coach! That’s right, THE Frank White of the Kansas City Royals. He is back for his second season with the team and it was so great to see a local legend back on the field! The Monarchs played the Winnipeg Goldeyes of Canada and I love that we got to hear the Canadian National Anthem as well as our own "Star Spangled Banner". That doesn’t happen at every game! 

It was time to play ball. Joel and I are avid baseball fans. Our son, not so much! We had to “sell” this family night for a solid week, but I think the Monarchs turned his love of the game around. He was engaged from the starting pitch, asked tons of questions about scoring, kept his eye on balls and strikes, and rooted for the Monarchs throughout the game. Never once did he ask to head over to the outfield play area, opting instead to take in the magic of what a summer night at the ballpark has to offer. Hotdogs, Dippin’ Dots, fun in between inning action on the field, and just simply root, root, rooting for the home team. And when we made it on the Jumbo Tron, he was sold! And this baseball loving Mama was here for the whole thing! Thank you, Monarchs!!

The game went into extra innings and we stayed until the bottom of the 11th, through a pitcher change, and watched one last hit before heading to the car. On our way out of the gate, someone hit a foul ball that soared over the stadium and landed just steps from McKinley! We ran to pick up the ball, and at age 10, this sweet kid has his first professional baseball. You couldn’t write a better ending to a night like this. It’s why baseball is American’s favorite pastime! And why we will be back soon! 

XO,

Andrea

*Our tickets were gifted to us by the Kansas City Monarchs, but all photos and thoughts are my own.

Summer Fun - A Weekend in Wichita, KS Part Three

 When we last talked, we had just finished lunch at River City Brewery and were setting off for our next stop on our Weekend in Wichita. Botanica, The Gardens of Wichita is a 17 acres garden that includes the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Downing Children’s Garden, the Gene E. Spear Railroad Garden, and so much more. 

We began our tour with the Chinese Garden and it was stunning. It’s a tribute to Wichita’s sister City, Kaifeng, and displays traditional Chinese gardening. The garden was designed in two different parts. The south side, the entrance, includes a courtyard and Rose Wind Pavillion. It’s considered the earthly world where people live, work and experience a daily life. The north side is considered the dream world, that showcases landscape, a pond, stream, and Thousand-Foot Bridge. It’s a place for peaceful reflection. For me, the most visually stunning piece was the Dragon Wall. It is made of over 200 pieces of glazed porcelain. The Treasure Dragon, holding a pearl inside its mouth, is the protector and keeper of the underground treasure. 

The Railroad Garden wasn’t working, a conductor was unavailable for the display, but that didn’t stop us from taking in this special spot. Nestled in the trees, this peaceful area features model passenger, freight, and work trains that typically run daily.  

The Downing Children’s Garden was joyful! Full of bright colors, exploration, music, and monsters, there was truly something around every corner. Begin the adventure by taking the yellow stream path along the Rainbow Trail. Your first stop along the path is to Grandma’s Farmhouse, a small scale farm that allows kids to live life on the farm. The Boeing Monster Woods are crafted tree structures that come to life in this wooded play area. Granny’s Treehouse is an elaborate play area that has twists and turns, and unexpected outcomes! Play music along Granddaddy’s Musical Maze, walk gingerly over the troll when crossing the bridge to play on the wavy hillside, and check out the Enchanted Glen that features metal sculptures of popular children’s stories. And lastly, take a ride on the newly restored Khicha Family Carousel. This 36 horse Joyland carousel was restored to its former glory and is the perfect way to end your time in the children’s portion of the gardens.

On display now through July 31st, make sure to find the Big Bugs that have invaded the gardens! In addition to finding these large species, check Botanica's website for daily activities! They are super cool and incredibly large!

We took a little breather, and freshened up a bit, before hitting the road again. Dinner time was calling and pizza was on the menu. Ziggy’s Pizza has got to be the coolest place I’ve dined in a long time! This open air restaurant, that hosts indoor seating as well, is located in Clifton Square. The vibe was just what this Saturday evening called for and I loved all the people watching that took place. The front patio features several different eating areas on upper wooden decks and cement patios. Large picnic tables, small two seaters, and round tables that seat four or more, all held families gathered after a dance recital, a date night, couples that brought their dogs to hangout with them, and guys getting together for pizza and beer. It was truly the main hub for just chilling out. What was so cool about Clifton Square is that it looks like an old “cul-de-sac” that the city turned into a spot for eating, shopping, and mingling. After ordering, I left the boys to check out local boutique, Clifton Collective. This chic spot features handcrafted goods from local makers ranging from apparel, to paper goods, and home items. I picked up a jar of Bee Harmony raw sunflower honey for my mom and a cute set of pens for McKinley. He loves nothing more than a pen and pad of paper. What’s even better is that you can shop Clifton Collective from your home! Check out their site here. As for the pizza, it was so good! We did a half and half, McKinley is strictly cheese, and after two pieces I was stuffed. But not enough to stop into Papa’s General Store for some ice cream. McKinley and I had a single scoop each. Plain chocolate for him and chocolate chip cookie dough for me! 

But our night didn’t end there! We definitely needed the sugar to fuel us a little bit longer. One of the biggest visual experiences within the city of Wichita is the nightly lighting of the Keeper of the Plains. This 44 foot Cor-Ten steel structure stands at the base of where the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers meet and is elevated by a 30 foot rock promontory. Artist Blackbear Bosin created this incredible piece and donated it to the city where it was installed in 1974 to commemorate the Bicentennial. It has become a symbol for the city and a tribute to the Native American tribes who gather at this sacred site. 

You can access the area from the two bow and arrow inspired cable stay bridges which span the two rivers. Fire drums at the base of the Keeper of the Plains light the night sky and are surrounded by sage, bottlebrush, medical herbs, prairie grasses, and cactus. We found a great viewing spot along the grassy side of the sidewalk that flanks the river. Bring blankets if possible. As we sat and waited for the lighting to begin, we took in the scenery around us. It was a gorgeous evening. Weather permitting, the lighting begins around 9:00 every evening and lasts around 15 minutes. And once lit, the view is stunning! A peaceful end to our day and lovely weekend in Wichita.

So now we rest. One more sleep and we are off to the Sedgwick County Zoo which rounds out our Summer Fun in Wichita. Come back soon where I’ll share all the sights this zoo has to offer!

XO,

Andrea

*This weekend was sponsored by The City of Wichita, but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.