Hail to the Chief! Freni fires third no-no
The local amateur baseball scene is still in the early throes of summer and yet an old standby has already tossed a no-hitter.
Jared Freni, the ace of the Andre Chiefs pitching staff, submitted his third career no-no when he beat the host Melrose Americans, 3-0, at Morelli Field on June 14. He struck out 14 in the masterpiece, 12 swinging.
“He had a real good fastball and a good breaking pitch that night. The most incredible thing was he didn’t allow a ball out of the infield all game,’’ Andre Chiefs general manager/manager Chuck Andre said.
Freni, who turns 30 in October and has pledged to retire if the team captures the Intercity League title this year, said his approach to games remains simple.
“Honestly, I don’t give a heck. I just throw it up there,” Freni said with a laugh. “Actually, that night I was keeping everything down in the zone and my fastball was jumping out of my hand. My curveball was only 5050 and I was hanging a few.”
Freni, a right-hander from Malden, was celebrating an anniversary of sorts since his first no-hit gem was almost four years earlier to the day. On June 12, 2013, he fanned 14 in a 2-0 win against the Watertown Reds. His second no-hit performance was a 3-0 win over Reading Bulldogs on June 2, 2015, as he whiffed 15 in a season-opening victory.
Freni’s heroics are moving him up the team’s career charts. He currently ranks No. 2 in wins (63), No. 4 in appearances (93), No. 2 in strikeouts (766), and third in innings pitched (558). Freni began his stint with the Chiefs in 2006, while still in high school, played summers with the club while in college at UMass, and has been a full-time part of the rotation since 2010. He is 63-12 in his Chiefs career.
Freni is also a two-time playoff MVP, a four-time Pitcher of the Year, and the 2013 regularseason MVP. His early 2017 nohitter is a psychological boost, as well, after nagging injuries limited him to a career-low 36 innings and a 4-1 record last season.
Freni, who works for ReMax Andrew Realty Services in Medford when he’s not hurling nohitters, praised his teammates.
“They’re a great group of guys,’’ Freni said.
Another big pick-up for the Chiefs this season is Andrew Chin, a left-hander, who pitched at Boston College. Chin, who pitched for a perfect 20-0 team in 2010 while playing at BB&N, was selected in the 15th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Yankees and played for two seasons in that organization.
Chin, a 24-year-old Newton native, previously was drafted in the fifth round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011 following his BB&N career. Chin had the thrill of a lifetime earlier this year when he played for Team China, managed by ex-Seattle Mariners bench boss John McLaren, in the World Baseball Classic.
“Yeah, he’s a great addition to our team,” Freni said. “The other night before the game, we were standing in the outfield, talking about that (World Baseball Classic). It’s unbelievable. He’s a great kid.”
Al Thomas on top
The Al Thomas Athletics have opened a two-game lead in the Yawkey Baseball League with a 12-4 record. The Somerville Alibrandis, who have won the last seven titles, are 10-1-1 while the Revere Rockies are next at 10-5.
Alex Joyce of the Brighton Braves is the top batsman so far with a .548 (17-of-31) batting average while Stoneham Sabres right-hander Sam Cummings (31) and lefty Lloyd Hill (2-0) of Al Thomas each have yet to allow an earned run. …
The Boston Park League, the nation’s oldest amateur baseball league, has ADSL on top with a 10-3 mark. A key reason is Bobby Barrett, who has registered a .500 average so far (7-for-14).