Chris Sabo talks with Glenn Enzweiler of Fort Mitchell, whose son, Gary, holds the rights to the Frontier League franchise in Florence, Ky. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        FLORENCE — Former Reds third baseman Chris Sabo would like to coach a minor-league team in Florence and maybe give some young player a chance, just like a manager once gave him a chance in Cincinnati.

        Mr. Sabo shared the stage at Boone County High School on Thursday night with businessman Gary Enzweiler and Bill Lee, commissioner of the Frontier League, in a public forum to gauge interest in building a minor-league baseball park here.

        “I realized my dream, and I remember a manager named Pete Rose who gave me a chance,” he said. “I probably went as far as I could in the game. But I'd like to be able to help someone else realize a dream.”

        Mr. Sabo, who lives in Montgomery, said he had had very little contact with baseball or baseball players since retiring from the major leagues in 1997, other than some brief coaching with local high school and college players. “I didn't even know what the Frontier League was,” he admitted.

        “But if all this can be worked out, I'd be really interested in coaching a professional minor-league team,” he said. “In the past year or so, I've had a number of people ask me why I'm not in baseball in some capacity and how good they think I'd be as a manager.”

        Mr. Enzweiler called his chance meeting a few months ago with Mr. Sabo at a Loveland restaurant “fate.”

        “We happened to sit next to each other, and started talking about baseball,” he said. “I told him about my plans for the Frontier League, and one thing led to another.”

        Mr. Sabo said he divides his time between playing 16 events on the celebrity golf tour to raise money for various charities, and his three young children at home. He said he had been contacted in the past by other professional baseball teams about coaching, but hadn't seriously considered it.

        Mr. Enzweiler, who has the rights to a Frontier League franchise, said flatly that Mr. Sabo is the manager he wants for the team if he can put the package together in Florence.

        Although the response from some 60 people who turned out Thursday was mostly favorable, there are still hurdles to be cleared before a Frontier League team plays in Florence. First and foremost is the means to construct a $10 million, 4,000-seat ball park.

        “We're waiting for the results of an economic feasibility study from the University of Cincinnati,” said Florence Mayor Diane Whalen, a supporter of the ball park idea.

        The prime site for the ball park, according to Mr. Enzweiler, is a piece of land at the intersection of U.S. 42 and Interstate 75, where a miniature golf course and recreation facilities are located. No formal talks have been held with the owner, however.

        Answering a question from the audience, Mr. Enzweiler said he felt the city would probably need to generate about 55 percent of the cost of the stadium.

        “I think about 45 percent of the debt service would be handled by the team, major corporate sponsors and through naming rights to the ball park,” he said.

        The Frontier League is a private minor league with 12 teams, primarily in the Midwest.

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