CJ Beatty To Be Inducted Into FL Hall of Fame
WASHINGTON, Pa. (June 22) – The Frontier League has announced its 2023 Hall of Fame Class and that class includes former Wild Thing infielder, outfielder and slugger CJ Beatty. Beatty was with the Wild Things for all of 2013 and parts of 2014 and 2015 around a contract purchase by the White Sox organization.
CJ joins John Cate (Richmond Roosters), Keith Habig (Richmond Roosters), Darin Kinsolving (Chillicothe Paints), Wes Long (Windy City ThunderBolts), Steve Marino (Evansville Otters and Southern Illinois Miners) and Joe Ronca (Springfield Capitals) as players in this year’s class for the Frontier League Hall of Fame.
Beatty will be officially inducted in a pre-game ceremony prior the game Saturday, August 5 against the Gateway Grizzlies at Wild Things Park. Gates open that night at 6 p.m. That season, he played in all 96 games, a feat that has only been accomplished four times in Wild Things history. Jacob Dempsey, a Hall of Famer, did it twice (2008, 2009) and Michael Parker did it in 2009.
“I still remember the Thanksgiving Day that CJ decided to sign with us. From there, he made such an impact in the Washington community on and off the field,” said president and general manager Tony Buccilli, who signed Beatty prior to the 2013 season. “He was the centerpiece of our organizational shift and embraced being an ambassador of our brand. We always had a special relationship and I’m glad he is able to celebrate this honor with his family.”
Beatty was a 2013 midseason and postseason Frontier League All Star as he burst onto the scene in Washington. He quickly became a fan favorite and his play backed that up on the field. In 96 games that season, Beatty slashed .305/.378/.550 with 26 doubles, three triples, 18 home runs and 66 RBI. He also scored 65 times. That 26 double total is tied for sixth for a single season in club history and the 18 home runs are tied for seventh.
He had 18 homers again in 2014 and had posted 57 RBI while going 15-15 in the stolen-base department with a .276/.382/.528 slash line in 75 games in 2014 before his contract was purchased by the Chicago White Sox organization, where he finished the 2014 season playing for the Winston-Salem Dash (CARL, A+).
After starting the year with the same club, Beatty played in 45 games for Washington in 2015 and had 10 doubles, two homers and 20 RBI to go along with 14 stolen bases and a .260/.351/.373 slash line. His tenure with Washington ended in December of 2015 with a trade to Sussex County (Can-Am League), but he retired instead.
Over his Washington career, and career in the Frontier League, he played in 216 games and amassed 221 hits, 49 doubles, four triples, 38 home runs and 143 RBI. He was 36-for-41 in stolen base attempts and slashed .286/.374/.506. In total, he was a two-time midseason and postseason All Star (2014 after doing it in 2013). His rambunctious and infectious positive energy exuded from him during his tenure with the Wild Things: a big reason why for a group of fans dubbing themselves “The Beatty Bunch.”
At this moment, he’s sixth all-time in runs scored for a Wild Things’ career (132), eighth in hits (221), fourth in home runs (38), sixth in RBI (143) and seventh in walks (109).
Beatty’s now the owner and CEO of The Motivator Brands, an author and motivational speaker. He’s also an instructor of the game of baseball.
“I am truly blessed and honored to be inducted into the Frontier League Hall of Fame. The Wild Things staff, coaches and fans are going in with me,” said Beatty. “Special thanks to Train, our bus driver, for keeping me straight since day one and freezing the bus every road trip.”
Beatty becomes the eighth former Wild Thing in the Frontier League Hall of Fame joining Aaron Ledbetter (2014), Chris Sidick (2015), Scott Dunn (2018), Jared Howton (2021), Josh Loggins (2021), Jonathan Kountis (2021) and Jacob Dempsey (2022). Tickets for the August 5 game and CJ’s induction ceremony are available here.
