The Bowling Green Hot Rods (Class-A Midwest League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays) and the Lexington Legends (Class-A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals) on Thursday announced an agreement to play an exhibition game between the two clubs April 7 at Whitaker Bank Ballpark in Lexington.

The game will take place ahead of the 2020 regular-season opener in Lexington with a two-year agreement that has the game coming to Bowling Green Ballpark in 2021.

The idea came from a comment on social media that turned into a conversation between Hot Rods GM/COO Eric C. Leach and Legends President/CEO Andy Shea. Leach, a former member of the Legends front office staff, worked with Shea early in his career with Lexington.

“With both teams playing in the great state of Kentucky, it only makes sense that the Hot Rods and Legends would come together to give fans what they really want,” Leach said in a news release. “Everyone enjoyed the rivalry during our inaugural season (in 2009), and after a fan mentioned the idea on Twitter, Andy and I got together to make it happen.

“We are thrilled to bring back the rivalry from 2009. It will be extra special with two championship-caliber organizations with the Hot Rods winning the Midwest League in 2018 and the Legends going back-to-back in the South Atlantic League in 2018 and 2019,” Shea said in a news release.

The game pits two championship-winning franchises against one another after the Legends captured the 2018 and 2019 South Atlantic League titles while the Hot Rods did the same in the Midwest League in 2018. The two teams played 18 times in 2009, the lone year Bowling Green was a member of the SAL during its inaugural season. Lexington won the season series 12-6 as an affiliate of the Houston Astros. Bowling Green was represented by future big leaguers Tim Beckham and Matt Moore while the Legends sent five future MLB players to the field.

“The Kansas City Royals have been excited about the opportunity to play an exhibition game with Bowling Green from the time Andy Shea asked if we’d like to participate in the game,” JJ Picollo, the Kansas City Royals Vice President/Assistant General Manager, said in a news release. “Being part of an inter-league game with two affiliates from the state of Kentucky will be a unique experience for our players. It will also be something Legends fans will enjoy and will give the fans a preview of our team prior to the opener just a few days later.”