By: Frankie Benvenuti

With the Ottawa Titans’ win over the New Jersey Jackals on Tuesday night, Manager Bobby Brown marked a milestone: his 500th managerial win in independent baseball. 

It has been 11 years and five different stops, ranging from Las Cruces, New Mexico, to Lincoln, Nebraska, and now Ottawa, where Brown has managed the Titans for their first two seasons. The accomplishment is something greater than himself, he says, making the cause for celebration that much greater. 

“500 does mean something,” Brown said. “It means that I have been able to do this for a long time. It means that I’ve had good coaches help me, and a bunch of great players. I didn’t get one hit in all of those wins.” 

Reaching that kind of mark at any level of baseball is impressive, but when you consider what people go through at the independent level, it becomes a staggering accomplishment. The bus rides, the nights in less-than-five-star hotels, eating fast food - if you’re lucky, sometimes, a gas station is the only option - and being away from family. 

Brown, between his playing career and now his coaching career, has spent over 20 years living this life, and while it has unquestionably tested his love for baseball, there’s not a thing he would change, even if he could. 

“It is tough to get on a bus for 10, 12, even 14 hours after all of these years,” Brown admitted. “That’s just part of the job, a part of the journey. We’re not going to get private jets in independent baseball, that’s what it is, it’s a grind sometimes.” 

The average person wouldn’t be able to tolerate it for this long, it takes someone special. For as difficult as it is, however, Brown says that it takes someone equally as dedicated and poised to make the perfect partner. His wife, Amy, has been critical in the longevity of the University of Oklahoma alum. 

Back home, she has held down the fort, and always has, ever since Brown began this endeavour all of those years ago. 

“She has been wonderful, especially when I first started out coaching,” Brown said. “She has been so supportive. Sometimes, she’s the one making the money to pay our bills, and she has been the backbone of this. Any good coach needs that kind of support at home, and I wouldn’t trade her for anyone in the world.” 

Amy’s ability to stick by Brown when things have gotten tough has left a lasting impression at work, as well. Over the years, he says he has become a much more patient manager, and is less likely to act impulsively, whether it’s on the field with his pitchers, or in the office with transactions. 

“When I first started, like a lot of young managers, you’re not patient with guys,” Brown explained. “You feel like every game is the end of the world, and if somebody [makes a mistake] that costs you the game, you feel like you have to find someone better. But that’s not the case, and now, I feel more polished. I know how hard the game is, and I can remind myself that I signed a guy for a reason.” 

That growth, as well as a winning past, made Brown the ideal candidate to build the Titans’ franchise around. As much as Sam Katz wanted him here, Brown wanted to be in Ottawa equally, if not more. 

“I played a lot of years for this ownership group, managed against them, and I think it’s the best ownership in independent baseball,” he said. “When Sam called and offered me the job, I just said ‘yes,’ I didn’t even ask how much money I was going to make. I wanted to work for him.” 

Now with 99 wins under his belt in red and white, his next milestone is not far off. With the Titans, Brown has found a home where he has already created memories that will last a lifetime. 

“I’ve been coaching a long time now, and I think the most enjoyable team I’ve ever had was last year’s team,” Brown said. “This team, though, in the past two months has been almost identical. We struggled early, and it put us in a hole, but I really enjoy this team and the guys we have here.”