By Ryan Ernst
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FRONTIER LEAGUE

• The league is in its 12th season of operation. • It started as an eight-team league, dropped to six within two weeks of its first opening day, but now has 12 teams - six in the East Division and six in the West Division. • Florence plays in the East Division with teams from Evansville, Ind.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; Washington, Penn.; Chillicothe; and Richmond, Ind. • Brian Tollberg was the first former Frontier League player to be called up to the major leagues, playing for the Padres in 2000. Six days later, former Frontier League triple crown winner Morgan Burkhart made his major-league debut with the Red Sox. • This season, the league has expanded its schedule to 96 games. • Teams play 90 of their 96 games against division rivals. • The league age limit for players is 27.

MEET THE LOCALS

LENNY BAYS Pos: Starting pitcher Age: 24 No.: 29 High school: Bellevue College: Northern Kentucky University Note: Also played basketball at Northern Kentucky. ERIC FISHER Pos: Starting pitcher Age: 24 No.: 44 High school: Moeller Note: Has played in both the White Sox and Twins organizations. ZACH SCHMIDT Pos: Second baseman Age: 23 No.: 10 High school: McNicholas College: Miami University Note: Started his college career at third base, before moving to second base and eventually to shortstop. J.D. FOUST Pos: Outfielder/third baseman Age: 23 No.: 25 High school: Norwood College: University of Toledo Note: Played eight different positions (LF, CF, 3B, SS, 2B, DH, P) during his college career. Was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 23rd round of the 2003 draft. FLIP HILDEBRANT Pos: Outfielder Age: 23 No.: 21 High school: Moeller College: Georgetown College Note: Parents Chuck and Connie are part owners of the team. Connie is the general manager. MATT SINGER Pos: Outfielder Age: 25 No.: 17 High school: Purcell Marian College: University of Cincinnati Note: Holds the UC single-season record for RBI (79) and total bases (166), set during the 1999 season. JUSTIN RAHSCHULTE Pos: Outfielder Age: 23 No.: 2 High school: Boone County College: Northern Kentucky University Note: Is the only member of the Florence Freedom from Florence.

CHILLICOTHE - It's a humid day at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe. Rain forced a doubleheader the day before, which was just fine for the visiting manager.

His team, the Florence Freedom, is in the midst of a 27-game road trip. Plus, it had rolled into town late after its bus broke down four hours into a six-hour road trip. The boys needed the day off, and they responded with a doubleheader sweep.

The skipper, former Reds pitcher Tom Browning, sits in the shade of the 50-year-old grandstand and recounts the story.

"I don't think anyone understands what it's like to play 27 games in a row on the road," he says. "Even though you're sleeping in a bed and you can get up when you want, it's a different atmosphere, and it's taxing. You're always the visiting team."

For a guy who didn't have much of a minor-league experience - "I spent only two and a half years in the minor leagues," Browning says, "one stop every place" - this league, the independent Frontier League, is as minor as it gets.

It's small towns, smaller crowds, bad hotels and worse food. Still, Browning loves the job. He'll love it more Friday, when the Freedom come off the road for the first time all season to open their new ballpark, Champion Window Field in Florence. They play the Washington Wild Things at 7:05 p.m.

Browning took the job last May almost on a whim. After former Reds teammate Chris Sabo quit in the preseason, the team contacted Browning on a Wednesday. The season opened that Friday.

"He's a pretty spontaneous guy and I figured he'd say either yes or no just like that," Freedom general manager Connie Hildebrant said. "Lucky for us, he said yes. One phone call was all it took. He said, 'I'll be there tomorrow,' and he was there.

"It's worked out great."

"They just got me at the right time," Browning said. "I was playing golf every day, and that just wasn't fulfilling enough for me to say no."

The Freedom were 27-61 last year, the worst record in the league. Only eight players remain from that original roster. One-quarter into this season, they were 10-15 heading into Wednesday night's game and already have three more road wins than in all of 2003.

Browning admits the job has been a learning experience, and says he's merely "throwing out the lineup card and making some changes during the game that might help us win." Still, the players insist Browning's presence has made the team, and the nearly month-long road trip, better.

"TB's so personable," said Freedom outfielder Matt Singer, a former Purcell Marian and UC standout. "He's always telling stories, and he just has a great way to get across to us as players and teach us things. He's been there, so we're listening with both ears."

It's hard not to take interest in Browning's stories.

He's one of only 12 men alive who can tell you what it feels like to throw a perfect game in major-league baseball.

And although Baseball keeps no official statistic on the matters, he might be the only man on the planet who can tell the following stories: the one about having an all-points-bulletin put out over the radio for him after leaving an extra-inning World Series game because his wife was in labor. And then there's the time he hung out with rooftop fans outside Wrigley Field in full uniform in the middle of a game.

Much like in his playing days, Browning encourages a laid-back atmosphere at the park.

During pregame warmups at Chillicothe on Monday, Freedom game uniforms hung on the fence near the visitors' dugout, drying. Browning threw a little BP, hit fungoes to his outfielders and even took a few cuts in the cage, drawing cheers and jeers from his players.

Browning figures the players can almost see the 27-game road trip in the rearview mirror.

"The good thing is we're home for two-thirds of the second half of the season," he said. "That's going to be a big plus for us. ... We're tired of being the visitors."

E-mail rernst@enquirer.com