Florence Freedom owner Clint Brown died overnight Monday (1/16/18) in Phoenix, Arizona,  as he was preparing to return home to Northern Kentucky.

Brown purchased the Freedom in 2004, at a time when it was in turmoil because of problems with previous ownership, and has turned it into on of the Frontier League’s most successful and stable franchises.

Brown with Big Red Machine legend Dave Concepcion (provided photo).

Baseball was a passion for Brown, who recognized as well as anyone that the wonderful world of the Independent Frontier League was about entertainment as much as wins and losses.

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.

A successful businessman, Brown recognized that to thrive, the team had to promote itself to a regional audience and it developed some impressive marketing partnerships.

Under the tutelage of Brown, his wife, Kim Brown, and General Manager Josh Anderson, the team secured UC Health as the naming rights partner for the Freedom’s ballpark, and negotiated a presenting sponsorship deal with Titan Mechanical Solutions. In 2015, the Freedom introduced a HD marquee on Interstate 75 which is seen by more than 155,000 cars every day.

The Freedom has also achieved consistent success on the field.

The team made the playoffs in 2017, with a 61-35 record and finished in first place in the Frontier League Western Division, before being defeated by the Schaumburg Boomers in the league Championship Series.

The team also advanced to the League Championship in 2012, before falling to the Gateway Grizzlies.

The Independent Frontier League is not affiliated with a Major League Baseball team, but a number of players have kept their big-league dreams alive with the Freedom and have signed contracts with MLB teams over the years.

Perhaps the thing that many will remember most about Brown is his determination to make the Freedom a part of the Northern Kentucky community.

Freedom homestands routinely include several promotions such as concerts and Princess Night, where fathers bring their daughters dressed in princess garb to see famous movie and animated princesses. Theme nights include everything from Star Wars and Supeheroes to UK Night and Friday fireworks.

Over the years, the Freedom have brought local sports legends back to the region for promotional events, including Big Red Machine members Pete, Rose, Johnny Bench and George Foster, just to name a few.

To view an episode of the NKyTribune’s Inside Northern Kentucky program on the Florence Freedom, featuring Brown, click here. The Freedom feature is in episode 9.

Brown was also a great community partner and the Freedom host several events in conjunction with area nonprofits every year. A portion of proceeds from last year’s playoff ticket sales went to help victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Anderson, the team’s vice president and general manager, has flourished during his time with the Freedom as well, winning the Frontier League’s Bob Wolfe Award as the Executive of the Year in 2015. His relationship with Brown went far beyond that of owner team executive.

Anderson provided this letter to Freedom supporters that give some insights into the special rapport he shared with the guy he affectionately referred to as “Big Man.”

To our beloved Freedom fans, sponsors and all of the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati community,

This is a letter to you all from my desk past normal business hours. Because just going home at 5pm today just doesn’t seem right.

As you may of have heard, our leader, friend, supporter, father figure, and in some cases for our staff, family member/husband passed away late Monday night/early Tuesday morning. He collapsed in his hotel room the night before traveling back to Northern Kentucky from Arizona.

Clint Brown, owner and team president, was 63 and was suddenly taken from us way too soon.

To say all of us are heartbroken and shocked would be an understatement. This is all still so raw and pinning down one single emotion is impossible. To me personally, I owe him everything as I would not be where I am as a person, and as a professional without him. He was like a second father to me and someone I grew to revere and love.

I miss him so much already and it pains me to write this, but feel it’s needed to help me grieve, so grieve with me, and let’s reflect on what a great man Clint was and how much we’ve lost as a community.

Clint meant so much to me and all of his front office staff, most to his wife Kim who is our Assistant General Manager. As you can imagine her world is upside down right now so all I can ask you to do is pray. Pray for the peace that passes all understanding.

Clinton "Clint" D. Brown, 63, of Edgewood, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, in Phoenix, AZ. Clint was a 1972 graduate of Governor Livingston High School, in Berkley Heights, NJ, and a 1976 Graduate of Indiana University, where he graduated from Kelly School of Business and was a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity. In 1988, Clint formed Alliance Research and in 2005 became the owner of the Florence Freedom Independent Minor League Baseball Team. He was a member of St. Pius X Church, American Marketing Association, Frontier League Executive Committee, on the Advisory Board of First Tee, and was an extra in the movie Breaking Away. Clint was preceded in death by his father Douglas Franklin Brown in 1990. He is survived by his wife Kimberly Brown (nee Krallman), children Deidra Schornack (Patrick), Corinne Brown, and Conner Brown, granddaughter Paisley Schornack, step-granddaughters Mikayla and Oliva Schornack, mother Jeanne H. Brown, brothers Dean Brown (Christy) and E. Scott Brown, his beloved Jack the Dog, and many other nieces, nephews, and loving family members. A visitation will be held on Friday, January 26, 2018 from 4pm until 9pm at St. Pius X Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be on Saturday, January 27, 2018 at 10am at St. Pius X Church. Interment will be at Mother of God Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to Friends of the Rose Garden Mission Partners in Hope for the Poor, P.O. Box 122089, Covington, KY 41012-2089 or Northern Kentucky Children's Advocacy Center, 4890 Houston Rd., Florence, KY 41042. Online condolences can be made at www.linnemannfuneralhomes.com

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