Monarchs Serenade Calfapietra In Blowout Win

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – It was a night 25 years in the making for manager Joe Calfapietra.

The Kansas City Monarchs honored their skipper for his 25th year in professional baseball in the best way possible: winning. The Monarchs took down the Lincoln Saltdogs 10-5 at Legends Field Saturday night.

Calfapietra, the Monarchs’ eighth-year manager, was overwhelmed with emotion prior to first pitch. The Monarchs put together a special tribute video with over 20 players and coaches congratulating the legendary manager.

“It is a great testament to the players and coaches who have been so loyal over the years,” Calfapietra said. “I’m just so blessed for 25 years.”

The Monarchs (31-19) belted three home runs on Saturday night from Robbie Glendinning, John Nogowski and Blake Rutherford. Nogowski and Rutherford blasted 420-foot home runs in the sixth inning.

“It’s fun watching these guys every night,” Calfapietra said. “I let the guys go out there and play. I let the coaches go out there and coach.”

Glendinning’s solo home run gave Kansas City the lead in the first inning. Nogowski extended the lead with a textbook two-RBI single in the second inning.

Lincoln (23-29) rallied to tie the game at three after two RBI singles and a Monarchs error in the sixth.

Kansas City whipped together the perfect response; a seven-run inning to pull into a 10-3 lead.

Jorge Bonifacio scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Two pitches later, the Monarchs erupted.

Nogowski found his signature moment with a 420-foot three-run home run. The former major leaguer demolished a towering line drive over the Home Run Patio to make it 7-3.

The former major leaguer finished with a season-high five RBIs in the win.

Rutherford smacked one of the longest home runs by a Monarch this season later in the sixth. The former Washington National belted a 424-foot cannon to Home Run Hill in right field to make it 10-3.

Kansas City remains in second place in the American Association, one game behind first-place Sioux City.

UP NEXT

The Monarchs and Saltdogs close their 2025 season series Sunday afternoon at 1:05 pm. Julian Garcia starts for Kansas City against Lincoln’s Dylan Castaneda.