NKyTribune staff
A sale of the Florence Freedom independent professional baseball team is pending but a statement from the prospective new owners indicates the team will remain in Northern Kentucky.
There are not a lot of details regarding the sale, but Freedom Baseball Club LLC, the group that plans to purchase the team has released this statement:
“Freedom Baseball Club, LLC is in the process of purchasing the Florence Freedom professional baseball team from Canterbury Baseball, LLC. The principals of Freedom Baseball Club, LLC are local business people and will keep the team at UC Health Stadium. Due to confidentiality clauses in the agreement, no further comments can be made at this time. However, once the transaction is complete, Freedom Baseball Club, LLC will issue further statements. “
The Freedom play home games at UC Health Stadium, which is owned by the City of Florence. Mayor Diane Whalen said Freedom Baseball is an important part of the Florence community.
“When Kim Brown decided she might sell the franchise, one of her main goals was to find a local group who loved baseball as much as Clint had and who would keep the team in Florence,” Whalen said. “The city is happy to work with Kim and the new ownership group on the transfer of the lease agreement.”
Clint and Kim Brown
The Freedom play in the independent Frontier League.
Clint Brown purchased the Freedom in 2004, at a time when it was in turmoil because of problems with previous ownership. Under his guidance it became one of the Frontier League’s most successful and stable franchises.
In 2015, the Freedom was named the Frontier League Organization of the Year by a vote of the league’s General Managers. The Organization of the Year award honors the franchise that demonstrated overall superior excellence during the season as determined by sales and the promotion of the team in its community.
The team also won the award in 2005.
When Brown died suddenly and unexpectedly in January, 2018 his wife, Kim Brown, took over the team.
There were questions about the future at that time, but Kim Brown made it clear that the team was her husband’s passion and her goal was to keep it in Northern Kentucky.
“Our partnership with Canterbury Baseball and the Brown family has always been a positive one,” Whalen said. “Kim Brown has done a great job working during a difficult personal time.”
The City of Florence ordinance conveying the UC Health Stadium lease of the Florence Freedom to the new ownership group.
Whalen
The conveyance of the existing stadium lease to the new ownership group was a necessary step to allow the sale to go forward.
That was accomplished Tuesday, when the Florence City Council voted to allow Freedom Baseball LLC to assume the lease.
Whalen said it was an easy decision.
“Kim Brown’s desire is that the team remain in Florence and the stadium continues to be a great place for the community to gather,” Whalen said. “The new ownership group is committed to that as well and we are looking forward to seeing what the future holds at UC Health Stadium.”
A spokesman for the new ownership group said more details will be available once the sale has been completed.
Contact the Northern Kentucky tribune at news@nkytrib.com
