WHY I THINK BILL FREEHAN SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK BILL FREEHAN SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Bill Freehan was truly one of the greatest catchers who ever lived. Playing in what historians call the second dead ball era, Freehan popped 200 career home runs, posting double digit home run totals in nine straight seasons (out of eleven overall), including 25 in 1968, the “Year of the Pitcher.” He also flirted with the .300 mark for a couple seasons, and posted a solid .262 career batting average. While he hit in the middle of the order for some great Tigers teams in the 1960’s and 1970’s, he was better known for receiving the ball than hitting it. 

Famously described as “the thinking man’s catcher” by Sports Magazine in 1968, Freehan was “an unusual blend of brawn and brains.” He was a fixture behind the plate for Detroit for 15 seasons, combining a strong arm with good pitch framing skills. Freehan had a good caught stealing percentage of .369 across his career (including an AL high .531 in 1964) and led AL catchers in putouts six times, showing the kind of effect he had on his pitchers. A five time Gold Glove winner, Freehan was also a three time fielding champion, and retired with the highest fielding percentage of any catcher in history. His stellar combination of offense and defense led to eleven all-star selections, including seven starts. 

William Ashley Freehan was born in Detroit on November 29, 1941. He was quite a relief to parents Ashley and Helen, for he was their eldest son. He starred on the soundlots as a child, catching almost everybody’s attention. Although his family moved to St. Petersburg when he was 14, he went back to Detroit to play sandlot ball during the summers, and the Tigers first scouted him at 15. With their eye firmly upon him, Freehan attended the University of Michigan and batted .585 as a sophomore in 1961, which earned him a one way track to the Major Leagues. He shot through the system and was with the big club by the end of the season, hitting .400 with four RBI’s in four games. He established himself as Detroit's number one catcher in 1963 and was a top ten MVP candidate by 1964, hitting .300 (sixth in the AL) with 18 home runs and 80 RBI’s. He was an all-star for the next ten seasons and led the Tigers to two postseasons. His best season was 1968, when he batted .263 with 25 homers and 84 RBI’s en route to a second place finish in the MVP voting. The winner? One of his pitchers, 31 game winner Denny McLain. Together they helped the Tigers win the World Series, triumphing over the Cardinals. Freehan caught all seven games, making the final putout in Game 7 when opposing catcher Tim McCarver popped up. 

Freehan had several more solid seasons after 1968. In 1971, Freehan hit .277 with 21 homers and 71 RBI’s. He led the Tigers to the league championship series in 1972, hitting .250 with a homer and three RBI’s in a three game loss to the Oakland A’s. Freehan had a tough year in 1973 (110 games, .234 batting average) and some people thought he was done at 31. He rebounded with a big season in 1974, hitting .297 with 18 homers and 60 RBI’s. He made his last all-star team in 1975 and retired in 1976 after hitting .270 with five homers in a reserve role. 

Freehan’s case for the Hall of Fame is actually quite strong. He played for 15 years in the Majors, all for the Tigers. Freehan was an eleven time all-star, a five time Gold Glover, and received MVP votes in six seasons. He finished second in the MVP voting in 1968, third in 1967, and seventh in 1964. He retired with a career fielding percentage of .9933, which was the best mark ever by a catcher until Don Wilson surpassed him in 2002. Freehan also worked well with his pitchers, catching 114 shutouts in his career. He broke Elston Howard’s AL single season records for total chances and putouts in 1967 and added to them in 1968. He was also a good hitter, with six seasons of 18 or more homers and a career OPS+ of 112. All this makes for a pretty good case. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the Hall of Fame needs more catchers. Bill Freehan is one who ought to be inducted. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,774 season high: 155 in 1967 and 1968 

At Bats career: 6,073 season high: 540 in 1968 

Hits career: 1,591 season high: 156 in 1964 

Doubles career: 241 season high: 26 in 1971 

Triples career: 35 season high: 8 in 1964 

Home Runs career: 200 season high: 25 in 1968 

Runs Scored career: 706 season high: 69 in 1964 

Runs Batted In career: 758 season high: 84 in 1968 

Stolen Bases career: 24 season high: 5 in 1964 and 1966 

Walks career: 626 season high: 73 in 1967 

Strikeouts career: 753 season high: 72 in 1966 

Batting Average career: .262 season high: .300 in 1964 

On Base  Percentage career: .340 season high: .389 in 1967 

Slugging Percentage career: .412 season high: .479 in 1974 

Total Bases career: 2,502 season high: 245 in 1968 

Sacrifice Hits career: 38 season high: 7 in 1966 

Fielding Percentage career: .993 season high: .997 in 1970 led AL C: .996 in 1966, .997 in 1970, .995 in 1973 

Double Plays career: 196 season high: 55 in 1974* led AL C: 15 in 1968 

Putouts career: 11,235 season high: 1,133 in 1968 led AL C: 865 in 1965, 898 in 1966, 950 in 1967, 971 in 1968**, 821 in 1969, 912 in 1971 

Assists career: 813 season high: 83 in 1968 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: .369 season high: .531 in 1964 led AL C: .531 in 1964 

Pickoffs career: 24 season high: 4 in 1969 

*Freehan turned 49 of his 55 double plays in 1974 at first base. His single season high as a catcher was 15 in 1968. 

**Freehan made 162 of his 1,133 putouts at first base. His single season high as a catcher was 971 in 1968, which led AL catchers (and set a new AL record). 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-brother in law of Dan O’Brien 

-was a four time The Sporting News all-star and an AP all-star in 1968 

-homered in the 1969 all-star game 

-led the AL in caught stealing in 1968 (38) 

-led the AL in intentional walks in 1967 (15) 

-led the Majors in hit by pitch in 1968 (24) and topped the AL in 1964 (8) and 1967 (20), accumulating 114 in his career 

-was hit by a record three pitches in one game on August 16, 1968 

-hit three home runs in one game on August 9, 1971 

-led AL catchers in games caught in 1965 (129), 1967 (147), 1968 (138), and 1971 (144) 

-threw out Hall of Famer Lou Brock attempting to steal in the third inning of Game 5 of the 1968 World Series and blocked him from the plate in the fifth inning 

-among MLB catchers, ranks 26th in career games caught, 42nd in fielding percentage (min. 500 games caught), and 17th in putouts 

-also played 164 games at first base, one in leftfield, one in rightfield, seven as a DH, 74 as a pinch hitter, and five as a pinch runner