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Courtesy Kansas City T-Bones Media Relations

KANSAS CITY, Kan. 鈥� The Kansas City T-Bones have announced that Joe Calfapietra has been hired as the club鈥檚 new manager.

Calfapietra, 46, brings to Kansas City an overall record of 848-740 in 17 seasons as a manager, all at the independent level. Calfapietra spent the past 14 seasons as the manager of the New Jersey Jackals of the Can-Am League. Only four of those 14 teams did not reach the postseason. The Jackals won the league championship in 2004, at the end of Calfapietra鈥檚 second season in New Jersey, and then his teams reached the league championship series in five consecutive seasons, 2011-15. In 2016, the Jackals went 62-38, before losing in the first round of the Can-Am playoffs.

The T-Bones and Calfapietra鈥檚 Jackals faced each other seven times in interleague play since 2012, with New Jersey winning four of those games.

鈥淛oe is a passionate baseball man and leader, who鈥檚 a highly respected recruiter in independent baseball circles,鈥� said T-Bones vice-president and general manager Chris Browne. 鈥淗e is very familiar with our league through the interleague matchups over the years, having played in the majority of the stadiums in our league and/or against our teams. I look forward to working with him.鈥�

鈥淎fter managing in New Jersey for 14 years, the biggest thing about taking this job was the opportunity to try to build something special in a new location,鈥� Calfapietra said. 鈥淥n top of that, when we brought the Jackals to Kansas City in 2012, I realized fans in Kansas City are passionate about baseball, the facilities are beautiful, and the little time I spent there, it seemed like a great city. All of those things made it feel like a good fit for me.鈥�

Calfapietra started his coaching career in 1994 in this organization, when the T-Bones were in Duluth, Minn., and were known as the Dukes. In 2002, Calfapietra was the first-ever manager of the Gary SouthShore RailCats, where he was the league manager of the year, before starting with New Jersey the following season.

鈥淚 first met Joe 15 years ago when he was managing the then-expansion RailCats,鈥� said T-Bones president Adam Ehlert. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a fun walk down memory lane and arriving at the conclusion that the Can-Am League鈥檚 winningest manager is still the upstanding guy of his reputation back then.聽I鈥檓 thrilled to have him in the home team dugout at CommunityAmerica Ballpark!鈥�

While with New Jersey, Calfapietra managed former Kansas City T-Bones Nick Giarraputo, Lucas Irvine, Matt Padgett and Bryan Sabatella, plus former Kansas City Royals infielder and American League Rookie of the Year, Angel Berroa.

鈥淚 love managing and I get great thrills of winning a baseball game, but there鈥檚 a greater thrill for me in building a team,鈥� said Calfapietra. 鈥淭o put all the pieces together of this puzzle is a big-time passion of mine.鈥�

Calfapietra lives in Collegeville, Pa., with his wife and their two daughters, ages 17 and 11.

Calfapietra is the T-Bones鈥� sixth manager since the team moved from Duluth prior to the 2003 season. He replaces John Massarelli, who went 139-160 in three seasons with Kansas City, including 42-58 in 2016.

Joe Calfapietra鈥檚 Managerial Career

2000聽聽聽鈥斅犅犅犅犅犅犅� Allentown聽聽聽聽聽聽 42聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 43聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 .494聽聽聽聽 No Postseason

2001聽聽聽鈥斅犅犅犅犅犅犅� Allentown聽聽聽聽聽聽 43聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 47聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 .478聽聽聽聽 Postseason

2002聽聽聽鈥斅犅犅犅犅犅犅� Gary聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 35聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 55聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 .389聽聽聽 No Postseason

2003聽聽聽鈥斅犅犅犅犅犅犅� New Jersey聽聽聽聽聽 52聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 37聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 .584聽聽聽聽 Postseason

2004聽聽聽鈥斅犅犅犅犅犅犅� New Jersey聽聽聽聽聽 54聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 39聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 .581聽聽聽聽 League Champions

2005聽聽聽鈥斅犅犅犅犅犅犅� New Jersey聽聽聽聽聽 48聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 44聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 .522聽聽聽聽 No Postseason

2006聽聽聽鈥斅犅犅犅犅犅犅� New Jersey聽聽聽聽聽 43聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 48聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 .473聽聽聽聽 No Postseason

2007聽聽聽鈥斅犅犅犅犅犅犅� New Jersey聽聽聽聽聽 49聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 44聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 .527聽聽聽聽 Postseason

2008聽聽聽鈥斅犅犅犅犅犅犅� New Jersey聽聽聽聽聽 43聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 51聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 .457聽聽聽聽 No Postseason

2009聽聽聽鈥斅犅犅犅犅犅犅� New Jersey聽聽聽聽聽 55聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 39聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 .585聽聽聽聽 No Postseason

2010聽聽聽鈥斅犅犅犅犅犅犅� New Jersey聽聽聽聽聽 42聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 50聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 .457聽聽聽聽 Postseason