On Thursday, the baseball world received some bad news. Former Detroit Tigers star Bill Freehan passed away after his long battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 79 years old.
With his passing, his career was given another look. Freehan had been remembered as a solid catcher, a player who was considered a key part of the Tigers’ success in the 1960s and into the 1970s. However, he only received two votes in his only year on the Hall of Fame ballot, the same amount of votes as received by Jim Brewer. That seemingly put his Hall of Fame case to rest.
Detroit Tigers legend Bill Freehan deserves Hall of Fame nod
One can understand the low vote total based on his raw numbers. He produced a solid .262/.340/.412 batting line, hitting exactly 200 homers and 241 doubles in his 6900 plate appearances. Although those numbers may be low, they are certainly respectable for a catcher, as are his 1591 hits. Considering that the majority of his career happened in the second Dead Ball Era, Freehan was a respectable offensive option behind the plate.
He was certainly recognized as one of the better catchers of his era during his playing career. Freehan was a part of 11 All Star Games in his 15 years, and won five Gold Gloves. Of the players in MLB history to win at least five Gold Glove awards and be a part of at least ten All Star Games, only four – Barry Bonds, Ichiro Suzuki, Yadier Molina, and Freehan – are not in the Hall of Fame. Two of those other three are not yet eligible, and Bonds has battled PED accusations.
Sadly, with his passing, Freehan’s career is getting another look. His strong showing in every facet of the game is being recognized, with calls for his induction increasing. Unfortunately, as would be the case with another worthy candidate in Dick Allen, he will not be around to get the call.
It is unfortunate that it took his passing for his career to be given another look. That has been the case in the past, as Ron Santo was finally inducted by the Veteran’s Committee after his passing. And that will be the case with Freehan, although it should never have taken this long.
Bill Freehan deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. Sadly, if his induction comes, the Detroit Tigers legend will not be here to receive that honor