By John Sharp
A partnership between the 3&2 Baseball Club of Kansas City, Mo., and a subsidiary of the Kansas City Royals is expected to result in significant improvements to the 3&2 Club’s 5-field youth baseball complex it operates at 9600 Blue River Rd. which will allow it to better prepare south Kansas City area children and youth to play baseball and softball at more advanced levels.
“We want to reestablish ourselves as the youth league of choice for area families,” said Sean Wilson, president of the nonprofit club’s volunteer board of directors.
Working together over the past 18 months resulted in the August 14 sale of the 21-acre property – where many thousands of area children and youth including my son have learned how to play – to the Royals Amateur Development Complex, which then assured the 3&2 Club will continue to be the exclusive provider of league play at the site through a usage agreement.
The partnership frees the 3&2 Club from having to devote significant time and financial resources to maintaining the 5-field complex that has been in use for many decades and concentrate its efforts on giving children the opportunity to learn how to play baseball and softball onsite and expanding and improving league play at the site while keeping registration fees affordable for local families.
Both Wilson and 3&2 Club vice president and league director Ray Clarke said the agreement with the Royals subsidiary is already paying dividends with all the fields’ outfields being regularly mowed and all the infields being regularly prepped for play.
More costly improvements such as modernizing the lighting for all five fields at the complex and making concrete and roof repairs for the grandstand of the main stadium (Hager Field) where Pembroke Hill School’s baseball team also plays and practices will likely take place after the conclusion of the 2025 season, Wilson said.
Registration for the 2025 spring/summer season will open on December 1, and league play will begin in early April and run through the end of June, although rainouts could extend the season to mid-July. Onsite practice will be available after March 1.
The 2025 season also is expected to see a return of a fall season and the addition of girls’ softball. League divisions are scheduled to include coed t-ball for children ages 5 and 6: boys baseball and girls softball with machine-pitch ball for children ages 7 & 8; and regular boys baseball & girls softball for children 9 & 10 and children 11 & 12.
Persons may go to the club’s website www.kc3and2.com for more information.
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