Books and articles about Bill Freehan

The Tigers signed Freehan, a University of Michigan baseball and football star, for a $100,000 bonus in 1961. Two years later the Detroit native became their regular catcher and held the position for 14 seasons.

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Freehan showed signs of becoming the league's top catcher in 1964, his first and only season as a .300 hitter, and his first as an All-Star. That began a streak of ten straight years representing the AL, seven of those as a starter. After two seasons of hitting .234, the righthanded hitter matured in 1967, finishing third in MVP voting after leading the Tigers to within one game of the AL title. In 1968 the quiet leader reached career highs with 25 HR and 84 RBI, capping off the season by catching Tim McCarver's foul pop for the final out in Game Seven of the World Series triumph in St. Louis. A batter who crowded the plate, he was hit by pitches 24 times that year - then a league record - including three HBP in one game on August 16.

Freehan never matched his 1968 offensive stats, though he had a three home run game in Boston in August 1971. Freehan was outstanding behind the plate. The five-time Gold Glove recipient tied a record with 19 putouts in a 1965 contest. In 1968 he set an AL record for most putouts and chances in a year. When he retired, Freehan held the ML career marks for most chances, most putouts, and highest fielding average for a catcher. He is among the Detroit top ten in six offensive categories. He wrote Behind the Mask, a diary of the 1969 season. (CC)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 15, 1965: Tigers P Denny McLain makes a first-inning relief appearance and fans the first seven batters he faces, setting a ML record. He has a remarkable 14 strikeouts in 62/3 innings, tying the National League relief record (Marquard, 1911, eight innings) and one shy of Walter Johnson's major-league record (15 in 11 1/3 innings, 1913). Detroit rallies to beat Boston 6–5 as Bill Freehan records a record-tying 19 putouts at catcher. » July 5, 1968: Against Detroit in the 5th inning, Baltimore's Paul Blair is on 3B with Frank Robinson at bat. Robby swings and his bat sails over the third baseman's head. The 3B coach jogs out to retrieve the bat, not having called timeout, as Blair slowly strolls back to the bag, Tiger C Bill Freehan, with ball in hand, starts walking up the line, then runs behind Blair and tags him out. Blair and Earl Weaver go wild. » August 16, 1968: Detroit's Denny McLain is 16-0 on the road after blanking the Red Sox 4–0 in Boston. Tigers C Bill Freehan is hit by a pitch in three consecutive at bats, painfully tying a ML record. He will be hit a record tying 24 times this season. » April 10, 1969: Bill Freehan smashes two homers—one with the sacks full—to lead the Tigers to a 12–3 win over the Indians. Mickey Lolich beats Sam McDowell. » July 5, 1969: AL East leader Baltimore breaks a 3-game losing streak as Dave McNally (12-0) wins his 14th straight game 9–3 at Detroit. Detroit OF Mickey Stanley plays his 220th straight errorless game and C Bill Freehan picks Paul Blair off 3B unassisted. Blair, on third with a triple, strolls too slowly back to the bag after the bat flies out of the hands of Frank Robinson. » August 9, 1971: Despite belting six home runs -- 3 by Bill Freehan, two by Willie Horton, one by Aurelio Rodriguez -- at Fenway Park, the Tigers lose to the Red Sox, 12–11. The Sox have only one homer, a grand slam by Bob Montgomery. Rico Petrocelli's pinch single with two outs in the 9th drives home the winner. » October 10, 1972: The Tigers bounce back behind Joe Coleman's 14 strikeouts to beat Oakland 3–0. Bill Freehan's home run supplies the firepower. » July 29, 1974: Detroit hits four home runs in the first inning in an 8–2 win over the Indians. Al Kaline, Bill Freehan, and Mickey Stanley hit consecutive home runs off Fritz Peterson, and Ed Brinkman adds another, though not consecutive, off Steve Kline. » December 2, 1974: After several rounds of bourbon are consumed by Phillies GM Paul Owens and Detroit GM Jim Campbell at the winter meetings, Owens agrees to trade promising catcher Bob Boone and P Larry Christensen to Detroit for veterans Bill Freehan and Jim Northrup. Tomorrow morning, Owens won't recall the trade and the deal is never made. "How do you unshake a handshake?" says the disappointed Campbell. » May 25, 1975: Mickey Lolich's 200th career victory is a rain-shortened, 4–1 win over the White Sox. His catcher is Bill Freehan, who also caught him in his first ML start May 21, 1963. » August 12, 1986: Boston's Don Baylor sets an American League record when he is hit by a pitch for the 25th time, breaking the season record he held with Bill Freehan (1968) and Kid Elberfeld (1911). The Royals Bud Black does the plunking in a 5–1 win. Baylor will end the season being hit 35 times: the major-league record is 50 by Ron Hunt.