Cincinnati Reds: Bring out your Ryan Freel cards

The father of former Cincinnati Reds utility man Ryan Freel is looking for and of his son’s baseball cards that you may have.

It was a shock when the announcement came out that former Cincinnati Reds utility man Ryan Freel had committed suicide in 2012, just three days before Christmas. He was only 36 years old at the time, leaving behind three young daughters. It was later learned that Freel was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the result of the nine or ten concussions that Freel said he suffered during his playing days.

Now, Freel’s father is looking to make sure that his daughters remember their father’s playing days. He is looking for any cards of his son that you may have, so he can build binders for his granddaughters, letting them see their father in happier times.

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Freel’s hard playing style made him a fan favorite, and led to his being referred to as a “poor man’s Johnny Damon.” When he was on the field, he certainly showed that ability. From 2004 through 2006, the only seasons where he had more than 400 plate appearances, Freel stole over 35 bases each year, while showing some pop in the bat. His final season as a regular in 2006 was his best year in the majors, as he produced a .762 OPS with a career best 30 doubles, eight homers, and 37 steals.

However, those injuries ruined his career. He would never again appear in more than 75 games in a season, as he suffered with headaches and pain in his head after a violent collision with Norris Hopper. Other injuries, such as tearing the cartilage in his right knee, hastened his decline.

With these donations, the hope is that Freel’s daughters will be able to have something to remember the positives from. Even the holidays have been tainted with sadness, with his suicide coming when it did. Those moments, and those cards, could mean far more to his family than any monetary value.

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The father of former Cincinnati Reds utility man Ryan Freel is looking to get any cards that may be out there from his son’s playing career. It’s time to open those boxes and take a look through our collections.