Friedman Joining Monarchs Broadcasts, Brooks Returning To Media Team

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kansas City Monarchs broadcasts will feature a new voice in 2024. Cal Friedman is joining the Monarchs’ radio and TV broadcast team for 2024.

Friedman will team up with lead broadcaster Carter Woodiel for broadcasts of Monarchs home games on AABaseball.tv and a to-be-announced radio partner in 2024. Nolan Brooks is also returning to the team as a media assistant.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Cal to our broadcasts,” Woodiel said. “He brings plenty of experience and poise, but his passion for storytelling is what truly sets him apart. We’re looking forward to working together to bring our fans closer to the team they love.”

Friedman takes the place of Jaxson Webb, who accepted a position in the fall as the Director of Event and Ticket Operations at Missouri Southern State University.

“It was a privilege to work alongside Jaxson. His insight, professionalism and kindness came through both on and off the air,” Woodiel said. “He’ll always be welcome at Legends Field.”

In addition, Nolan Brooks will return to the Legends Field press box in 2024. Brooks, who joined the Monarchs organization in 2019, will contribute to pregame, postgame and social media content while assisting behind the camera in the press box and production room.

“I’m so excited to continue working with Nolan in 2024,” Woodiel said. “His passion and dedication to our organization are unmatched. He’ll continue to play an important role on our team in the season ahead.”

The Monarchs’ home opener is scheduled for May 16 at Legends Field. Tickets to the game go on sale March 9 at Tickets.MonarchsBaseball.com.

Friedman joins the Monarchs from Garden City, Kan., where he worked as the Sports Director for KWKR 99.9 ‘The Rock’. Friedman broadcasted football, basketball, baseball, and softball events for the Garden City Community College Broncbusters and the Garden City High School Buffaloes.

Before moving to Kansas, Friedman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. He served all four years at WVUM 90.5 FM, the flagship voice of Miami Hurricanes baseball and women’s basketball. Friedman, 22, broadcasted over 100 events at UM, including the 2023 ACC Baseball Championship and Coral Gables Regionals.

He has also interned as a play-by-play broadcaster for the Duluth Huskies of the Northwoods League, the Valley Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, and the Collegiate League of the Palm Beaches.

Brooks, a 2020 graduate of Northwest Missouri State, spent time with Sports Radio 610 as a producer in 2019. He has served as the Director of Audio with Stadium Rant since 2020. Nolan was a color analyst for the stretch run of the 2023 Monarchs season, including the team’s victory in the Miles Wolff Cup Finals.

Former Jayhawk Goddard Signs With Monarchs

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A former Jayhawk with a high-level pedigree is heading back to Kansas to play for the Kansas City Monarchs.

Jackson Goddard, a third-round draft pick by the Diamondbacks out of Kansas in 2018, has signed a contract with the reigning American Association champions.

“Jackson’s a hard thrower, he’s stretched out and can start, can throw multiple innings. He checks a lot of boxes for us,” Monarchs manager Joe Calfapietra said. “This is an exciting signing.”

Goddard earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors at KU his sophomore year in 2017. The right-hander delivered a 4.29 ERA in 16 games (12 starts) that season.

The Tulsa, Oklahoma native was KU’s Opening Day starter in 2018, earning a 4.10 ERA in 10 starts. He turned heads for his high-strikeout outings against high-level competition, including striking out 11 batters against Oklahoma and posting seven straight Ks to start an outing against Oklahoma State.

Goddard spent most of his first pro season with Low-A Hillsboro to the tune of a 4.03 ERA in his first pro season. He earned an impressive 2.89 ERA in 2019 with Class A Kane County over 26 games (20 starts).

The Holland Hall School graduate didn’t play in 2020 because of the pandemic and missed the 2021 season with an injury. He returned to action as a reliever in 2022 with Hillsboro, now a High-A team. He posted a 3.91 ERA that season, almost entirely at the High-A level.

Goddard capped off his 2022 with a stint in the prestigious Arizona Fall League, playing nine games with the Salt River Rafters.

Goddard began 2023 in Double-A, striking out 10.9 batters per nine innings over 18 appearances before being released in early July. He played winter ball with Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico, earning an All-Star appearance.

Find more information on the Monarchs, including tickets, schedule, and event details, at MonarchsBaseball.com.

About the Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team in the American Association, an MLB Partner League. 2024 will be their 21st season at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2020, the team partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and changed their name from the T-Bones to the Monarchs in honor of the legendary Negro League franchise that played from 1920 to 1965. This year, the Monarchs and the museum are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first Negro League World Series, won by the Monarchs in 1924.

About the American Association

The American Association of Professional Baseball is an MLB Partner League that began play in 2006. Teams in the league are not affiliated with any one MLB organization. The league consists of 12 teams located primarily in the Midwest and the Great Lakes regions of the United States. Its season runs from May to September and features players who are looking to showcase their talents for a chance to be signed by a major-league team.