Frontier League announces 2023 Hall of Fame inductees; former Chillicothe Paint Darin Kinsolving honored
The Frontier League of Professional Baseball is pleased to announce the 2023 Class for the Frontier League Hall of Fame.
Frontier League rules specify that there will be two players elected that played in each of three eras: 1993-99, 2000-10 and 2011-20. Also inducted will be either a Special Moment in League History or a Special Contributor to the growth of the League.
The 2023 Class has six players and a Special Contributor being enshrined.
Frontier League Commissioner Emeritus Bill Lee says, "These inductees are a great group of individuals that were truly leaders of their respective teams and also respected teammates. All of them have continued to serve their communities and younger players since they were in the League."
The following players will be inducted into the Frontier League Hall of Fame:
• C.J. Beatty – Beatty played three seasons with the Washington Wild Things from 2013-2015.He was a two-time Post Season All-Star, in 2013 as a second baseman and in 2014 as the designated hitter. He possessed the rare combination of speed and power. In 216 games in the Frontier League, Beatty had 221 hits, which included 49 doubles and 38 homeruns. He also spent parts of 2014 and 2015 with the Chicago White Sox Class A team in Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Keith Habig – A hard-hitting shortstop with the Richmond Roosters in 1997 and 1998. Habig had amazing numbers in his two years in the League. He was a model of consistency. He won the League batting title in 1997 with a .353 average and 104 hits, while in 1998 he hit .356 with 103 hits, including 25 homers. Habig played 152 games in the Frontier League, and amassed 140 RBI with an OPS of 1.067. He was a two-time Post Season All-Star at shortstop.
• Darin Kinsolving – Following his college career at Southeast Missouri State, Kinsolving was signed by the River City Rascals in 2000. He was traded soon after to the Chillicothe Paints where he would make his mark in the League as an outfielder and first baseman. In three years with the Paints, Kinsolving played all but nine games and hit for a .319 average. 2003 was his best year as he hit .336 with 15 homers and 76 RBI. He was named the Post Season All-Star first baseman and finished runner-up in the MVP voting that year. Following his playing career, Kinsolving spent several seasons as hitting coach for the Gateway Grizzlies.
• Wes Long – Long spent three seasons in the Oakland A's organization prior to becoming the starting shortstop for Windy City in 2007 and 2008. Those two seasons were magical for the ThunderBolts, as they won back-to-back Frontier League Championships. In two seasons with the 'Bolts, he played in all but one game (191), amassed 240 hits, and compiled a .332 average with a .909 OPS. Defensively, he shined with a .936 fielding percentage. Long was named the 2008 Post Season All-Star shortstop.
• Steve Marino – Marino was a third baseman with the Evansville Otters in 2012-2013 and the Southern Illinois Miners from 2014-2016. Marino played in 431 games in his Frontier League career. In those games, he compiled 418 hits with 82 doubles and 44 homeruns. His best season was 2016 when he hit .288 with 16 homers and 79 RBI. His efforts earned him the third baseman position on the Post Season All-Star Team. Marino was a leader on and off the field and following his playing days served as hitting coach with the Miners.
• Joe Ronca – Ronca was an outfielder with the Springfield Capitals in 1997-1998. In 153 games with the Capitals, he had 209 hits and established himself as one of the elite hitters in the Frontier League. His Frontier League career average was .343, which included 44 doubles, 33 homers, 149 RBI and a 1.005 OPS. Ronca earned Post Season All-Star honors in 2007 as an outfielder. He also helped to lead the Capitals to the 1998 Frontier League Championship.
• John Cate – Cate was the architect of the great Richmond teams of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Those teams had perennial all-stars and were always in contention for the playoffs. Richmond was also the first team to win back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002. He recruited such players as Morgan Burkhart and Fran Riordan and several Hall of Famers. Many of those players moved on in professional baseball and are active today. Cate is also a member of the Richmond High School Hall of Fame and the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame. The field in Richmond, Indiana is now known as John Cate Field at Don McBride Stadium.
Induction ceremonies for the Hall of Fame honorees will be:
• Joe Ronca – Friday, June 30 at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Ill., in conjunction with the 25th reunion of the 1998 championship team.
• Darin Kinsolving and Steve Marino – Saturday, July 15 at Grizzlies Ballpark prior to the Gateway Grizzlies' game with the Empire State Greys.
• John Cate and Keith Habig – Saturday, July 29 at John Cate Field at Don McBride Stadium in Richmond, Ind.
• C.J. Beatty – Saturday, Aug. 5 at Wild Things Park prior to the Washington Wild Things' game with the Gateway Grizzlies.
• Wes Long – Saturday, Aug. 19 at Ozinga Field prior to the Windy City ThunderBolts' game with the Schaumburg Boomers.
The Frontier League is a Professional Partner League of Major League Baseball. Currently playing its 30th season, the Frontier League features 16 teams stretching from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Ohio River to the St. Lawrence Seaway in Canada.