Freehan, catcher on 1968 champion Detroit Tigers, dies at 79

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ED WHITE

DETROIT (AP) — Bill Freehan, an 11-time All-Star catcher with the Detroit Tigers and key player on the 1968 World Series championship team, died Thursday at age 79.

The Tigers honored Freehan with a moment of silence and photos and video on the Comerica Park scoreboard before an afternoon game with the Los Angeles Angels.

“It’s with a heavy heart that all of us with the Detroit Tigers extend our condolences to the friends and family of Bill Freehan,” the team said.

The cause of death was not disclosed, but family members in recent years have publicly said that Freehan had Alzheimer’s disease.



FILE - Detroit Tigers catcher Bill Freehan puts the tag on Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals at the plate in the fifth inning of fifth game of World Series at Detroit's Tiger Stadium, in this Oct. 7, 1968 file photo. Freehan, an 11-time All-Star catcher with the Detroit Tigers and key player on the 1968 World Series championship team, has died at age 79. “It’s with a heavy heart that all of us with the Detroit Tigers extend our condolences to the friends and family of Bill Freehan,” the team said Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/sports-mlb-baseball-detroit-detroit-tigers-891b236387dc4d920d9a0e9368b19234

[irisblue]

1. 🕯️ I remember him well.

May his beloveds find hearts ease in joyful memories

[twin_ghost]

2. GO GET 'em! Detroit Tigers!

[irisblue]

3. Willie Horton, Bill Freehan, Brock Turner, 1968 World Series

Last edited Fri Aug 20, 2021, 06:05 AM - Edit history (1)

[oasis]

13. Helluva play. Thanks for posting.

[irisblue]

14. The teachers somehow got 2 TVs in the grade school gym, the entire school spent days watching the WS

[Kid Berwyn]

4. He caught for Denny McClain.

And Mickey Lolich. And a whole Tiger Stadium full of fans.

[James48]

5. Amazing.

Tigers!

[rurallib]

6. got to wonder if some of those collisions at the plate contributed

to his (potential) Alzheimers

[Tbear]

7. Poster over my bed

Bill and a couple other Tigers

[Auggie]

8. Should be in the Hall of Fame IMO

[Mysterian]

12. He played before my time but 11 All-Stars for a catcher is amazing

Sounds like he should be in there already.

[catbyte]

9. R.I.P., sir

Bill Freehan was the guest of honor at the Grand Opening of Little Caesar's Pizza in Petoskey, Michigan in the early 1970s when I was a young teen and I still have the baseball he autographed. It was the first pizza I ever had that didn't come out of a Chef Boyardee box. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

I'll always have fond memories of him.

[bucolic_frolic]

10. Best World Series ever

Last edited Thu Aug 19, 2021, 05:27 PM - Edit history (1)

Pre-hype. Controlled, formulaic interviews. Difficult umpiring decisions. A great strategic manager vs. a loyal status quo one. See-saw battle, lots of home runs and pitching duels. Denny McClain was supposed to best Bob Gibson, but I think lost 2 games and redeemed himself in game 6.

Amazed to see they have a still photo of the series-turning play, and looks like the ump got it right. Not so sure Brock was out stealing second in game 7 though.

[rpannier]

11. Watching the video it is hard to tell. From the outfield angle he looked safe but not sure

If you're a Tigers fan -- definitely out
Cardinals fan -- Obviously safe