Another week of action in the American Association and former Big Cat Tim Brown has managed to throw another 2 winners over Kansas City 10-3 on Monday and 7-4 over Grand Prairie on Friday, working 6 innings in each contest and taking his record to 6-1 and amongst the leaders in the league.
Meanwhile, Wichitas southern Div foes the Amarillo Thunderheads have turned to 41 year old former Big Cat Freddy Flores to turn around their early season struggles. Despite not playing for over a year Freddy continues to be a valuable contributor since being activated on the roster after the first month of the 100 game season with the Thunderheads where he started the season as a member of the coaching staff.
After a stellar season in 2013-14 with the Melbourne Aces where he led the ABL in appearances and the Big Cats who he helped progress all the way to the Div 2 championship game, Freddy returned to take up the pitching coach role with the highly successful Fargo Moorhead RedHawks in North Dakota which appeared to end his professional career. But he managed to maintain his fitness and continued to take BP, ground balls and shag fly balls each day and after being released by the RedHawks where he was made a scapegoat for there poor season, it was no surprise that when a spot opened up on the Amarillo roster, Freddy was ready to take up the challenge.
Since his return he has appeared in 9 games starting in 2 of them and has racked up 22 innings striking out 18 and walking only 6 and helping the Thunderheads to get back within 4 games of the Div leading Joplin Blasters. He has also seen some time in the field and the batters box as well as being used as a pinch runner. This is Freddy’s 12 season playing professional baseball starting way back in 1997 with the Sioux City Explorers.
The club is hopeful that Freddy will once again join the Big Cats this season to lead our young pitching staff and help out with the coaching staff who are intent on developing our young list and securing our hard earned position in Div 1.