Bill Freehan, former 11-time All-Star with Tigers, dead at 79

Bill Freehan, a former Detroit Tigers star who was an 11-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove catcher and a part of the 1968 World Series-winning team, died Thursday. He was 79.

Freehan spent his 15-year career with the Tigers. He made his debut in 1961, playing in four games for Detroit as a 19-year-old. He started to play more during the 1963 season and would play for the Tigers all the way until 1976.

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Freehan and the ’68 Tigers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. The team defeated the Bob Gibson-led squad in seven games, defeating Gibson in the series-winner, 4-1. Al Kaline and Jim Northrup had two home runs each during the series.

"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 Tigers said in a statement. "An all-time great Tiger, the Olde English ‘D’ was the only logo he wore over his 15-year Major League career, during which he was named to 11 All-Star teams, won five straight Gold Glove Awards and played a key role on the 1968 World Series Championship team. 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."

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Freehan played in 1,174 games and hit 200 home runs with a .262 batting average, .752 OPS and a career 44.8 wins above replacement (WAR).

Freehan was battling Alzheimer’s disease for the last few years of his life. He was moved to hospice care in October 2018, according to the Detroit Free Press.

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He is survived by his wife Pat, their three children and several grandchildren.