Eleven-time All-Star catcher and Detroit Tigers legend Bill Freehan passed away Thursday morning at the age of 79 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Born in Detroit, Freehan spent the duration of his 15-year MLB career with the Tigers, and later returned to his alma mater Michigan to coach the baseball team. He was a key member of the Tigers' 1968 world championship club, finishing second in AL MVP voting to teammate Denny McLain and ranking second on the team to longtime friend Willie Horton in both homers and RBI. McLain, Freehan and Horton were three of the top four vote-getters for MVP that year.
"Bill Freehan was one of the greatest men I’ve ever played alongside, or had the pleasure of knowing," Horton said Thursday in a statement released by the Tigers. "I’ll always cherish our childhood memories together and our journey from sandlot baseball to Tiger Stadium. His entire Major League career was committed to the Tigers and the city of Detroit, and he was one of the most respected and talented members of the organization through some difficult yet important times throughout the 1960s and 70s.
"You’d be hard-pressed to find another athlete that had a bigger impact on his community over the course of his life than Bill, who will be sorely missed in Detroit and beyond."
In addition to his prowess with the bat, Freehan was a five-time Gold Glover. He held the big-league record for highest career fielding percentage until the late 1980s and his 200 career homers trailed only Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey among AL catchers when he retired in 1976.
"With a heavy heart," the Tigers extended their condolences to Freehan's friends and family in a statement Thursday morning.
"An all-time great Tiger, the Olde English ‘D’ was the only logo he wore over his 15-year Major League career ... Off the diamond, Freehan made a positive impact in the southeast Michigan community, including as a player and then coach at the University of Michigan, where he changed the lives of many for the better. Our thoughts are with Bill’s wife, Pat, and the entire Freehan family," the Tigers said.
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