Florence Freedom
Encyclopedia
The Florence Freedom are a professional baseball team based in the Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky is the name often given to the northernmost counties in Kentucky...

 city of Florence
Florence, Kentucky
Florence is a city in Boone County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 29,951 at the 2010 census.-History:The Florence area was originally known as Crossroads, because of the convergence of several roads from Burlington and Union at Ridge Road...

, located near the city of Cincinnati. The Freedom are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...

, an independent baseball league. From the 2004 season to the present, the Freedom have played their home games at Champion Window Field
Champion Window Field
Champion Window Field is a stadium in Florence, Kentucky. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Florence Freedom independent league baseball team of the Frontier League...

, which is located near the Interstates 71
Interstate 71
Interstate 71 is an Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes/Midwestern and Southeastern region of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 64 and Interstate 65 in Louisville, Kentucky. Its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 in Cleveland,...

 and 75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...

.

The Freedom franchise has won three Frontier League championships. However, these titles came when the team existed as the Erie Sailors (1994), Johnstown Steal (1995), and Johnstown Johnnies (2000). The franchise is currently tied with the Rockford RiverHawks
Rockford RiverHawks
The Rockford RiverHawks are a professional baseball team based in the Rockford, Illinois suburb of Loves Park, in the United States. Currently, the RiverHawks are a member of the Frontier League, which they previously played in from 2002 until 2009. From the 2002 season to 2005, the RiverHawks'...

 (including years as Portsmouth and Springfield) for most total league championships, with three each.

History

Before 2003, the team played at Point Stadium
Point Stadium
Point Stadium is the name of two stadiums located on the same site in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The "Point" refers to its location is at the confluence of the Little Conemaugh, Stonycreek, and Conemaugh rivers....

 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...

 as the Johnstown Johnnies. The team moved to Johnstown from Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

, where they were known as the Erie Sailors
Erie Sailors
The Erie Sailors was the name of several minor league baseball teams that played in Erie, Pennsylvania between 1906 and 1994.-Pre-1930s:Several unrelated teams used the Erie Sailors name in the Interstate League , the Ohio-Pennsylvania League , and the Central League .-1938-1963:During these years,...

, in 1995 and was known as the Steal until the 1998 season. The team won two Frontier League championships in their time in Johnstown, one in 1995 as the Steal and one in 2000 as the Johnnies. The team was sold after the 2002 season and moved to Florence, where it became known as the Freedom.

2003

The Freedom played their 2003 home games at Foundation Field
Foundation Field
Foundation Field is a 3,000 seat baseball stadium located in Hamilton, Ohio. The field opened in 2002. It hosted the Florence Freedom in 2003 while Champion Window Field was being constructed and is currently hosting the Hamilton Joes of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League. The field is...

 in Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....

, about 30 miles (48.3 km) north of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

, while the ownership group was building a new stadium (Champion Window Field
Champion Window Field
Champion Window Field is a stadium in Florence, Kentucky. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Florence Freedom independent league baseball team of the Frontier League...

) in Florence. The team was managed by former major leaguer
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 Tom Browning
Tom Browning
Thomas Leo Browning is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals...

. The Freedom finished in last place, setting a then-league record with 61 losses. The team averaged fewer than 500 fans per game in attendance.

2004

In 2004, the Freedom opened Champion Window Field
Champion Window Field
Champion Window Field is a stadium in Florence, Kentucky. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Florence Freedom independent league baseball team of the Frontier League...

 in Florence. The park opened on June 18, with the Freedom losing to the Washington Wild Things
Washington Wild Things
The Washington Wild Things are a professional baseball team based in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Wild Things are a member of the East Division of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...

 10-6 before a crowd of 4,453 fans. On July 7, after a poor start to the season, manager Tom Browning
Tom Browning
Thomas Leo Browning is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals...

 was fired. Pete Rose, Jr. took over for one game, but quit after making a decision to continue his playing career. Mike Easler
Mike Easler
Michael Anthony Easler is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder who enjoyed a 14 year major league career from 1973 to 1987 with the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, California Angels, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees...

 was then hired and finished the season. The Freedom ended the season with a 31-65 record, finishing in last place for the second consecutive year.

Ownership scandal

In July 2004, shortly after the opening of Champion Window Field, contractors began filing liens against the Freedom, accusing the team of not paying for work done on the stadium. Eventually, 33 liens totaling $4.7 million were filed. In August, Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank is a U.S. regional banking corporation, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and is the principal subsidiary of holding company Fifth Third Bancorp ....

 sued team part-owner Chuck Hildebrant for failing to repay multiple loans taken out to finance the stadium construction. As part of the lawsuit, it was revealed that Hildebrant had used 204 acre (0.82555944 km²) of land that he did not own as collateral for the loans, and that he had given the bank a forged document as proof of ownership. Hildebrant was later the subject of a federal white collar crime investigation and sentenced to prison in October 2005. The team was sold in November 2004 to a new ownership group led by Clint Brown, who was not associated with Hildebrant's ownership group.

2005-6

In 2005, former Chillicothe Paints
Chillicothe Paints
The Chillicothe Paints are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chillicothe, Ohio, in the United States. The team is a member of the summer collegiate Prospect League.-Team history:...

 manager Jamie Keefe was signed as the team's new manager. Keefe led the Freedom to their first winning record (53-42). The team finished tied for second place in the Frontier League's East Division, missing out on the playoffs by a tiebreaker. Three freedom players hit more than 20 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...

s in 2005— outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...

 Mike Galloway (24), designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...

 Kyle Geswein (24), and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...

 Trevor Hall (23). closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...

 Ted Rowe tied for the league lead in saves with 17.

In 2006, the Freedom had a losing record of 38-50, finishing 5th in the Frontier League East Division.

2007

In 2007, the Freedom again had a sub-.500 record, going 42-54 for the season. This placed the team third in the East Division. Outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...

 Reggie Watson led the league in batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...

 (.357) and steals (20), while also winning the Home Run Derby
Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...

 at the 2007 Frontier League All-Star Game, hosted by Florence. Outfielder Ryan Basham earned the Frontier League Rookie of the Year award, hitting .298 with 17 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...

s on the season.

2007 Frontier League All-Star game

In 2007, Champion Window Field, home of the Freedom, hosted its first Frontier League All-Star Game, with the Freedom's East Division winning 11-3. The Freedom's Reggie Watson had three runs batted in and was named the game's Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...

. The game's attendance of 4,483 set a new attendance record for Florence.

2008

In 2008, the team finished with a 47-49 record, missing a playoff spot by four games. For the first time, the Freedom attracted over 100,000 fans to Champion Window Field
Champion Window Field
Champion Window Field is a stadium in Florence, Kentucky. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Florence Freedom independent league baseball team of the Frontier League...

, with a total of 106,707 fans for the year.

Uniform changes

In early 2008, the Freedom changed their primary colors from red, white, and blue to black, red, and silver.

2009

In 2009, the Freedom opened against the Midwest Sliders of Ypsilanti at home on May 20. Florence opened 2009 with two major changes— FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...

 instead of a natural grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...

 surface and a new coaching staff. Toby Rumfield became the new field manager, and Freedom alumni Greg Stone, the Freedom's all-time hit leader, as hitting coach and Bill Browett as pitching coach.

Seasons

Erie Sailors (Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...

)
Year W-L PCT Place Postseason
1994 42-25 .627 2nd in FL East Won 1st Round Playoff vs. Ohio Valley
Ohio Valley Redcoats
The Ohio Valley Redcoats are a minor league baseball team in the independent Frontier League which currently has suspended operations while in search of a new stadium.-Team history:...

 2-0.
Won Frontier League Championship vs. Lancaster Scouts
Evansville Otters
The Evansville Otters are a professional baseball team based in Evansville, Indiana, in the United States. The Otters are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...

 2-0.
Total 42-25 .627
Playoffs 4-0 1.000 1 Playoff Appearance. 1 Championship
Johnstown Steal/Johnnies (Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...

)
1995 46-23 .667 1st in FL Won 1st Round Playoff vs. Richmond Roosters 2-0.
Won Frontier League Championship vs. Zanesville Greys 2-0.
1996 41-33 .554 2nd in FL East Lost 1st Round Playoff vs. Chillicothe Paints
Chillicothe Paints
The Chillicothe Paints are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chillicothe, Ohio, in the United States. The team is a member of the summer collegiate Prospect League.-Team history:...

 2-1.
1997 47-33 .588 1st in FL East Lost 1st Round Playoff vs. Canton Crocodiles
Washington Wild Things
The Washington Wild Things are a professional baseball team based in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Wild Things are a member of the East Division of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...

 2-0.
1998 34-43 .442 3rd in FL East
1999 43-41 .512 3rd in FL East Lost 1st Round Playoff vs. London Werewolves
London Werewolves
The London Werewolves were an independent Frontier League baseball team based in London, Ontario, Canada. The team had previously been known as the Kalamazoo Kodiaks, from Kalamazoo, Michigan. The team arrived in London for the 1999 season and left after the 2001 season to Canton, Ohio. The...

 2-0.
2000 48-36 .571 1st in FL East Won 1st Round Playoff vs. London Werewolves
London Werewolves
The London Werewolves were an independent Frontier League baseball team based in London, Ontario, Canada. The team had previously been known as the Kalamazoo Kodiaks, from Kalamazoo, Michigan. The team arrived in London for the 1999 season and left after the 2001 season to Canton, Ohio. The...

 2-0.
Won Frontier League Championship vs. Evansville Otters
Evansville Otters
The Evansville Otters are a professional baseball team based in Evansville, Indiana, in the United States. The Otters are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...

 3-1.
2001 44-40 .524 4th in FL East
2002 30-54 .357 6th in FL East
Total 333-303 .524
Playoffs 8-9 .471 3 Division Titles. 5 Playoff Appearances. 2 Championships
Florence Freedom (Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...

)
2003 27-61 .307 6th in FL East
2004 31-65 .323 6th in FL East
2005 53-42 .558 3rd in FL East
2006 38-56 .404 5th in FL East
2007 42-54 .438 3rd in FL East
2008 47-49 .490 4th in FL East
2009 49-47 .510 3rd in FL East
2010 38-58 .396 5th in FL East
2011 39-57 .406 6th in FL East
Florence 326-431 .431

Alumni

Below is a list of Freedom alumni who have gone on to play MLB-affiliated baseball. The alumni are sorted by peak level of baseball in which they have participated after playing for Florence. In total, 20 Freedom alumni have signed professional contracts after playing for Florence, with one making the major leagues.

As of January 1, 2010:

MLB

Player Year w/ FLO Current/Most recent team Active
Chris Jakubauskas
Chris Jakubauskas
Christopher James "Chris" Jakubauskas is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball.-College career:...

2003 Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...

Yes
Corey Thurman
Corey Thurman
Corey Lamar Thurman is a professional baseball pitcher for the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League. He has played during two season at the major league level for the Toronto Blue Jays....

2005 York Revolution
York Revolution
The York Revolution is an American professional baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball...

 (Ind.)
Yes

AAA

Player Year w/ FLO Current/Most recent team Active
Daniel Touchet 2005 Joliet Jackhammers
Joliet JackHammers
The Joliet JackHammers were a professional baseball team based in Joliet, Illinois, in the United States. The JackHammers were a member of the Northern League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From 2002 to 2010, the JackHammers played their home games at Silver Cross...

 (Ind.)
No
Michael DeMark 2006 San Antonio Missions
San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio...

 (AA)
Yes

AA

Player Year w/ FLO Current/Most recent team Active
Elvys Quezada 2008 Binghamton Mets
Binghamton Mets
The Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...

No
Yosandy Ibanez 2008 York Revolution
York Revolution
The York Revolution is an American professional baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball...

Yes
Erold Andrus 2010 San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

 org.
Yes

A-Advanced

The following Freedom alumni have advanced as far as Class A-Advanced: Jason Tuttle (Freedom 2003), Kevin Rival (2004), Tim Turner (2004), Mike Galloway (2005), Heath Castle (2006), Johnny Washington (2008)

A

The following Freedom alumni have advanced as far as Class A: James Morrison (Freedom 2004), Steven Pickerell (2005, 2009), Joel Posey (2004-5), Conor McGeehan (2006), Tyler Evans (2007), Neall French (2008)

Short Season A

The following Freedom alumni have advanced as far as Short-Season A Class:

Rookie-Advanced

The following Freedom alumni have advanced as far as Rookie-Advanced Class: J.D. Foust (Freedom 2004)

Rookie

The following Freedom alumni have advanced as far as Rookie Class: Reggie Watson (Freedom 2006-7), Preston Vancil (Freedom 2010)
  • Bold denotes alumnus's still being active in professional baseball.

Records

Below is a list of Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...

 individual records set by Freedom players as of the end of the 2009 season.

Individual game

  • Runs batted in - 9 by Garth McKinney on August 11, 2008 (three-way tie)

  • Hits
    Hit (baseball)
    In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....

    - 6 by Matt Cooksey (2006), Nick Salotti (2007), and Garth McKinney (2008) (seven-way tie)

  • No-hitter
    No-hitter
    A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...

    - Preston Vancil on July 26, 2009

Single season

  • Games started (pitching)
    Games started
    In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter...

    - 22 by Everett Saul in 2009 (three-way tie)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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