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Softball  | Softball Tournament  | 4/30/2021

Alex Gordon Classic Kicks Off In KC

Jerry Miller     
Photo: Perfect Game
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Perfect Game Midwest will play host to over 170 baseball and softball teams this weekend in the seventh annual Alex Gordon Classic benefitting Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

The legendary Kansas City Royals outfielder has long supported the quest to cure childhood cancer. PG Cares, Perfect Game’s foundation to assist those in need around the country, is proud to partner with the Alex Gordon Classic and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation in their efforts to raise the necessary funds to fight this dreaded disease. In its seventh year, the AGC has, to date, raised some $250,000.



Originally started in 2005 in Pennsylvania by a young girl by the name of Alex Scott who, before her first birthday, was diagnosed with cancer, ALSF is rapidly gaining strength throughout the country. Even though Alex Scott passed at age eight, her legacy and desire to fight the malady that took her young life far too soon, grows even stronger today. For a testament to that, one needs to look no further than the efforts that have been and will be made behind the scenes and on the field by the many participants in the Alex Gordon Tournament this upcoming weekend in Metro Kansas City.

Alexa Dispirito, PG Midwest’s Marketing Coordinator, who helps champion Perfect Game’s involvement with the Alex Gordon Classic and the ALSF, says that the real stories about this upcoming weekend happen off the field. As competitive as all the teams are, what happens before and after games is what truly makes the Gordon Tournament special.

“The teams, players, families, and friends who rally around a cause that is bigger than all of us, is what is truly remarkable,” Dispirito said. “That really fuels my passion for this event.”

Highlighting this very special weekend will be a ceremony on Saturday morning between 10 and 11 a.m. at Mid-America Sports Complex. The top fundraising teams will be honored on the field. They will be recognized by Alex Gordon, representatives from the ALSF, and hero families from ALSF, the true driving force behind this annual event.

Joel Goldberg, the Kansas City Royals in-game reporter, will MC this year’s ceremony, and he and Alex Gordon will then spend time with these very deserving teams following the ceremony, talking baseball and softball, signing autographs, and taking pictures. This event, obviously, goes far beyond actual competition on the field.

Raising funds to fight childhood cancer is the driving force behind the Alex Gordon Classic, and the focal point of the entire weekend. As a reward, what happens to and for those teams and individuals who lead the way with those fundraising efforts made on behalf of the ALSF, is also noteworthy. Those who lead the way individually and collectively, also have the opportunity to spend time with Alex Gordon at a private workout at the KC Royals Urban Youth Academy. Fundraising will conclude this Sunday at 9 p.m. when the winners will be determined. In addition, a silent auction featuring various baseball and softball related items, a vital piece of the Alex Gordon Classic, is also up for live bidding. You can find that live auction by clicking here.

As for that competition on the field, on the baseball side, 92 teams from 9U to 14U-AAA will invade Legacy Park in Lee’s Summit, Mo. and Mid-America Sports Complex in Shawnee, Kan. to battle it out for the coveted Perfect Game championship.

The 11U and 12U divisions will get underway on Friday evening at 6 p.m. at Legacy Park. The 14U-AA and 14U-AAA age groups will also begin play on Friday evening at Mid-America Sports Complex. Competition at the 10U, 13U-AA, and 13U-AAA will start on Saturday morning at Mid-America, while games at the 9U level will start on Saturday morning at Legacy.

PG Softball will see nine age divisions and 86 teams participating in the Gordon Tournament. Games will be played at Mid-America West in Shawnee, Kan. and The Field of Dreams in Basehor, Kan. The 8U and 10U-Open divisions will crank it up on Saturday at Mid-America West. The 8U side will begin play at 3:40 p.m., while 10U-Open will crank it up at 8:15 a.m.

The 10U-C, 12U-B, and 14U-C divisions will begin play on Friday night at 6 p.m. at Field of Dreams, while the 12U-C, 14U-B, 18U-A, and 18U-B age groups will start play on Friday evening at 6 p.m. at Mid-America West.

Action promises to be fast and furious this weekend as teams continue to ramp up for a full season of competitive action in Perfect Game events across the Midwest. The Alex Gordon Classic will provide a true measuring stick for many organizations as they continue to hone their individual skill level and collective abilities heading into the highly-anticipated full summer schedule. Although Perfect Game will crown champions and recognize outstanding efforts on the field of competition, the main focus of this very special weekend will be Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and the efforts made to support ALSF “one cup at a time!”
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