Florence Freedom
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Florence_Freedom".

Florence Freedom Founded in 1994 Florence, Kentucky

Team Logo Cap Insignia

League affiliations

Frontier League East

Name

Florence Freedom (2003-present) Johnstown Johnnies (1998-2002) Johnstown Steal (1995-1998) Erie Sailors (1994)

Other nicknames

Team Colors

Black, Red, White, Silver

Ballpark

Champion Window Field

Championships

League titles: 3 (1994, 1995, 2000) Division titles: 3 (1995, 1997, 2000)

Owner(s)/Operated By: Clint Brown

General Manager:

Manager: Jamie Keefe

Media: Cincinnati Enquirer

Website: florencefreedom.com

The Florence Freedom is a professional baseball team based in the Northern Kentucky city of Florence, in the United States. The Freedom is a member of the East Division of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 2004 season to the present, the Freedom have played their home games at Champion Window Field, which is located near the Interstates 71 and 75.

History

Before 2003, the team played at Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and was known as the "Johnnies." The team moved to Johnstown from Erie, Pennsylvania in 1995 and was known as the "Steal" until the 1998 season. In 2000, the Johnnies won the Frontier League championship. The team was sold after the 2002 season and moved to Florence, where it became known as the Freedom.

The Freedom played its 2003 home games at Foundation Field in Hamilton, Ohio, about 30 miles north of Cincinnati, while the ownership group was building a new stadium (Champion Window Field) in Florence.

Frontier League All-Star Game

On the nights of July 11-12, Champion Window field home of the Freedom, hosted it's first all star game,with eastern division winning 4-3. Players representing the Freedom (Beau Blacken,and Reggie Watson)had two of the four runs for the East.

The team is currently tied with the Rockford RiverHawks for total league championships, with three each (includes seasons played in Erie and Johnstown).

Chuck Hildebrandt

In 2004, the owner of the Freedom, Chuck Hildebrandt, was charged with fraud and eventually sent to prison. This was not his first felony conviction. His wife, Connie Hildebrandt, was also under investigation but not prosecuted. Connie soon moved out of state. Creditors building the stadium were out more than $3 million. In 2005, the team was bought by Northern Kentucky businessman Clint Brown.

Changes in 2008

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

Florence Freedom logo 2003 - 2007

Florence Freedom logo 2008 - present

Seasons

Official websites

• Florence Freedom
• Frontier League

Official websites

• Freedom page at OurSports Central

v • d • e Sports teams based in Kentucky
Baseball	IL: Louisville Bats • SAL: Lexington Legends • Bowling Green 2009 • FL: Florence Freedom
Basketball	CBA: East Kentucky Miners • ABA: Kentucky Warriors
Football	af2: Lexington Horsemen • Louisville Fire • MCFL: Louisville Bulls • Kentucky/Ohio Xtreme • Hardin County Wolverines • Central Kentucky Chargers • NWFA: Kentucky Karma
Australian rules football	USAFL: Louisville Kings
College athletics (NCAA Division I)	Eastern Kentucky University • University of Kentucky • University of Louisville • Morehead State University • Murray State University • Western Kentucky University • Bellarmine University (lacrosse only)