Today
on the blog, from my custom "Whole Nine: Series 2" set released a few
months back, my 1962 "missing" card for SHOULD-BE Hall of Fame catcher
Bill Freehan:
This
man was THE top catcher in the American League for the 1960's, taking
up the position after guys like Yogi Berra and Elston Howard retired,
and before young studs like Carlton Fisk and Thurman Munson came along.
With all the superstars on the field during the 1960s, it's easy to
forget that Freehan was an eleven-time all-star, five-time Gold Glover,
and finished in the top-ten in M.V.P. voting three times, with a second
place finish in 1968 behind teammate Denny McLain.
He
made his Big League debut in 1961 at the age of 19 with four
appearances, hitting .400 with four hits over 10 at-bats, with four RBIs
and a run scored.
1964, his first full year in the Majors, was arguably his finest season,
as he hit .300 for the only time in his career along with 18 homers and
80 R.B.I.'s.
But for the rest of the decade Freehan put up comparable numbers year after year, while taking care of a Detroit pitching staff that featured guys like McLain, Mickey Lolich and Earl Wilson.
He really was ahead of the rest of the pack as far as A.L. catchers during the decade.
But for the rest of the decade Freehan put up comparable numbers year after year, while taking care of a Detroit pitching staff that featured guys like McLain, Mickey Lolich and Earl Wilson.
He really was ahead of the rest of the pack as far as A.L. catchers during the decade.
A solid player through and through, he'd retire after the 1976
season with a .262 lifetime average, 200 homers and 758 runs batted in
over 1774 games and 6073 at-bats.
