KANSAS CITY, Kan.– The Kansas City T-Bones are proud to announce that Vice-President and General Manager Chris Browne has been named the Kansas City Sports Executive of the Year by the Kansas City Sports Commission. The award will be given out as part of the 2019 Kansas City Sports Awards Banquet on Thursday, June 13th.

Chris Browne has been the General Manager of the Kansas City T-Bones since 2008 and has been on staff with the club since day one, joining the front office in September 2002. He will begin his 12^th season as Vice-President and General Manager on May 19^th when the T-Bones defend their 2018 American Association Championship.

Under Browne’s leadership, the T-Bones have been one of the premier minor league baseball operations in the country. Under his watch, the team has twice been named Organization of the Year—in 2010 and 2014, and over the last two seasons, the club has set new records on the field. The 2017 squad finished with the franchise's second-best record of 57-43, and the 2018 club finished with the best record in club history, 62-37, on the way to winning the club’s second League Championship.

Browne helped chart this new course of success on the field when he hired Field Manager Joe Calfapietra in the fall of 2016. That partnership has seen the franchise become a leader in getting players signed and back into Major League organizations. Since opening day 2017, the T-Bones have seen 17 players’ contracts sold to Major League clubs.

“Chris’s leadership abilities work well across the spectrum of our product, from business-to-business marketing of sponsorships and advertising to significant local companies, down to mentoring young staff at selling six-dollar baseball tickets,” said Adam Ehlert, T-Bones President and co-owner.  “He’s always represented us well in the community, and I could not be more proud for Chris and this well-earned honor.”    

Browne, a native of Kansas City, broke into baseball during his high school days while still at Rockhurst High School. He would serve as a Kansas City Royals bat boy/clubhouse attendant from 1985 until 1992, including being a part of the 1985 Royals World Championship. Following his graduation from the University of Missouri with a degree focusing on Sports Management in 1992, Browne served as the Director of Stadium Operations of the class AA Jacksonville Suns from 1992-1996. Browne returned to Kansas City and was the Assistant General Manager for the Kansas City Comets indoor soccer team before joining the T-Bones in 2002. He was named General Manager of the T-Bones in 2008 and became Vice-President and General Manger in 2011. The 2019 season will be Browne’s 29^th season as an executive in professional sports.

Browne also has been recognized by the KCK Convention and Visitors Bureau with the 2011 Excellence in Hospitality Award, and he was named the Tourism Advocate of the Year in 2015. Browne is a lifetime member of the Kansas City Baseball Historical Society as a Royals Alumni.

The 2019 Kansas City Sports Awards Banquet is scheduled for Thursday, June 13^th at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown Muehlebach Tower. For more information on the event and tickets please go to kcsportsawards.org.

Other awards announced by the Sports Commission are:

-Sportsman of the Year, Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback for The Kansas City Chiefs and 2018 NFL MVP.

-The recipients of the Spire Sportswomen of the Year are Jenna Gray and Audriana Fitzmorris. Both women play for Stanford Women's Volleyball team and are two-time NCAA DI National Champions.

-Awarded the Burns & McDonnell Coach of the Year is Ben McCollum. McCollum is Northwest Missouri State University Men’s Head Basketball Coach. Northwest Missouri State Men’s Basketball were 2019 NCAA DII Undefeated National Champions.

-The recipient of the Children's Mercy Community Champion is Paige Parker. She is the Assistant Softball Coach at William Jewell College and is a Women’s Coaching Advocate.

Full and half-season 2019 ticket packages as well as mini plans are on sale now online by calling (913) 328-5618 or by visiting the Saint Luke’s Box Office between the hours of 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Group ticket sales are also on sale now. Opening day for the T-Bones is set for Friday, May 17th at T-Bones Stadium when the T-Bones host the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks to open the 2019 season.

For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the T-Bones Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to www.tbonesbaseball.com. and the T-Bones Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

#FUNWELLDONE#