For the 31st time, a member of the Florence Freedom has signed a contract with a Major League Baseball team.
Right-handed pitcher Chuck Weaver’s contract was purchased Friday by the Miami Marlins. The 24-year old is the first Freedom player to have his contract purchased by the Big League.
“We are very excited for Chuck,” Freedom manager Dennis Pelfrey said. “He has worked very hard with pitching coach Chad Rhoades on the mental toughness side of his game. This was really no surprise to us as we knew it would happen, it was just a matter of time.”
A 2014 Frontier League Mid-Season All-Star, Weaver finishes his 2015 season with the Freedom with a 6-4 record and an ERA of 3.22 in 18 appearances, 16 starts. Weaver dominated down the stretch this year, giving up two or fewer runs in his last four starts in a row.
Weaver shined in 2014 as he finished the season with a 2.65 ERA, good for first on the team and fifth in the Frontier League. His notable outings included a career high eight innings of one-run ball against Southern Illinois on June 14, seven innings of one run ball on June 28 against River City, seven innings of shutout ball against Gateway on July 3 and seven innings of shutout ball against Traverse City on August 13. In 17 starts, Weaver went six or more innings 13 times.
Weaver was signed by the Freedom in June 2013 after he finished up his collegiate career at IPFW. He had a solid rookie season, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.70 ERA in 14 appearances, 12 starts. The Ft. Wayne, Ind. native started 13 games as a senior for the Mastadons, posting a 2-5 with a 3.57 ERA. Weaver threw two complete games as a senior and pitched 70.2 innings. He played two years for IPFW after transferring from Vincennes University where he was named to the NJCAA All-Academic team.
Freedom take both games in double-header in Joliet
Meanwhile, the Freedom are flying high after taking both games of a double-header against the Joliet Slammers on Thursday night. Florence (38-43) won 5-2 and 9-2.
In game one Florence jumped on the board in the first against Andrew Strenge (6-7). With two away, Austin Newell doubled and Sam Eberle singled him home. The Freedom put up another run in the third as Zac Mitchell tripled to deep center. The throw to third clipped Mitchell and went out of play, allowing him to score and putting Florence up 2-0.
In the fourth inning Steve Carrillo delivered a clutch, two-out RBI single to extend the Freedom lead to 3-0.
But Joliet (33-48) responded in the fifth as Marc Flores launched a two-run home run off Freedom starter Cody Gray to cut the Florence lead to 3-2. Enter, “Pistol” Pete Levitt, who got the final two outs of the inning.
Collins Cuthrell provided some much-needed insurance in the sixth as he launched his eighth home run of the season, a two-run blast to make it 5-2 in favor of Florence.
Ethan Gibbons worked a scoreless bottom of the sixth and Ed Kohout picked up his 15th save of the year with a scoreless seventh.
In game two, the Freedom once again took the early lead in the first inning, this time against Joliet starter Kevin Walter (2-7). Eberle and Frazier Hall delivered back-to-back RBI singles to make it 2-0 in favor of the Freedom.
But Jack Cleary hit a two-run homer off Florence starter Patrick McGrath in the second inning to tie the game at two.
The Freedom took the lead for good in the third on an Austin Newell RBI grounder. Then they plated three more in the fourth. Isaac Wenrich destroyed a baseball for his first homer as a member of the Freedom. Andrew Godbold doubled and Carrillo singled him home to make it 6-2 in favor of Florence.
McGrath struggled in the fourth so Levitt (5-2) would get the final two outs of the inning. Then the Freedom added three more runs in the seventh. Zac Mitchell singled, Austin Newell walked and Eberle singled home Mitchell for the first run of the inning. Cuthrell added a two-RBI single to make it 9-2.
Seth Harvey worked the final three innings of the game to pick up the save. Levitt got the win in both contests.
The Freedom head to Schaumburg to take on the Boomers Friday night at 7:30 p.m. eastern time. Chuck Weaver (6-4, 3.22 ERA) takes the hill for Florence.
-Staff report
Photo: Chuck Weaver (provided)
