KANSAS CITY – Festivities culminated in Kansas City with the 2024 American Association All-Star Game Tuesday Night. Split between the two Association divisions, the East and West competed in the annual showcase of the best of the best in the AA.
Kansas City was well represented with four Monarch’s who donned the Kansas City cap. Pitchers Julian Garcia and Nate Tellier joined Cather Herbert Iser as reserves for the West squad, while First Baseman Frankie Tostada had the honor of holding down first base and batting third.
The West was also managed by the Monarch’s very own Joe Calfapietra who clinched the position after Kansas City took home the 2023 Miles Wolff Cup back in September. The nomination was the third of his career.
Monday night Legends Field played host to the annual Home Run Challenge as Brian O’Grady took home the win in dramatic fashion. Read more about the derby here:
O’Grady is the one who hit the game-winning clincher for the Monarch’s in 2023, yet he switched allegiances for this game. O’Grady now plays for the Cleburne Railroaders who reside in the East division. He roamed a right field very familiar to him as a starter for his new team.
The East got off to a quick start in the first inning with Chicago Dogs’ Jacob Teter curving a ball past Frankie Tostada on the right side of the diamond, bringing in a run.
However, the West bounced back in the following inning, with Kansas City’s Julian Garcia throwing a perfect 1-2-3 frame for his home squad.
Scoring went cold after the initial score in the first frame, with zeros until the top of the 5th. The East was able to get runners at the corners, just in time for Brian O’Grady to make an appearance at the plate. O’Grady, who currently sits at third among the League Leaders in RBIs, did what he does best and knocked in a run. Narcisco Cook came up next and forced another run after a fielder’s choice giving the East a 3-0 lead.
The strong lead was quickly shaken in the bottom of the 6th. Kansas City’s Frankie Tostado started off the campaign by getting on base and was eventually hit around to get West on the board. A hit later and another run put the West within striking distance of the East going into the final three innings.
The West kept it rolling in their next chance in the seventh. With a man on second, Dayson Croes grabbed his fourth hit of the night; a double to left center that hit off the fence and drove in the tying run.
The tied scoreboard provided the perfect setup for yet another dramatic finish. In perfect dramatic fashion, West All-Star Ismael Alcantara rocketed a ball into left-center field to bring in the game winning run in the ninth inning. The West was down 3-0 at one point and was able to overcome the deficit and grab a win in front of the Kansas City fans.
An incredible finish to an incredible week.
