Happy birthday to former #Tigers catcher and 1968 World Series champion, Bill Freehan! 🎉🎂 pic.twitter.com/z8YMOK0XGJ— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) November 29, 2017
That's right, Tigers catching great (and favorite player of John's Big League Baseball Blog) Bill Freehan turns 76 years old today!
The 15-year catcher and '68 champ has a special place in my collection because not only was he a a Tigers fan favorite, he also played ball (and later coached) for my alma mater, which I may have mentioned before is the University of Michigan (yep, football too!).
While has health has been in decline for a while, mostly due to Alzheimer's, it's still easy for a fan like myself to picture him in his prime at and behind the plate, despite the fact that he played his final season seven years before I was even born.
Of course Freehan's lone RC is this 1963 Topps which he shares with three others in all their floaty-headed goodness.
For the relic I chose this classy looking 2001 SP Legendary Cuts Debut bat. While I have a number of choices here (especially thanks to the 2005 version) I quickly decided on this simple but elegant Upper Deck offering.
Speaking of 2005 SP Legendary Cuts (which recycles that commonly used photo), it's currently my only option for a patch example. As a matter of fact, Bill doesn't seem to have any such cards outside of this very product.
My autograph selection faced plenty of stiff competition including the likes of Fleer's Greats of the Game and multiple UD choices (2004 Timeless Teams and 2005 Past Time Pennants come to mind). But in the end I had to go with the beautiful 2005 Topps Retired Signature, in this case the Refractor version (which was removed from its uncirculated-style case before I acquired it). It's simply an amazing set and the Refractor factor puts it over the top.
Believe it or not, I was more limited when it came time to select a patch than choosing a 1/1 as I have a pair of those. The runner-up from 2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites was a very close second thanks to its cool retro action shot. Still, this post is all about celebrating a portrait of the athlete as a young man, so I gave this 2006 Greats of the Game Magenta plate the nod despite the third instance of that photo out of the five cards I chose!
So here's to one of Motown's best backstops. Happy birthday, Bill!
Love the Retired Refractor!
ReplyDeleteRetired Refractors: #1 with Gavins. Thanks for looking!
DeleteSorry I'm late seeing this, I greatly appreciate you giving Bill some baseball love on his Birthday...and for the blog shout out.
ReplyDeleteJohn.
Of course--you nail every other birthday but I wasn't gonna miss sending a shout out to Freehan or one of his biggest fans!
DeleteWhen I was 11 my father took me to Florida to watch some of the spring training games. Being from the state of Michigan, of course we had to take in a Tigers game in Lakeland. Bill Freehan was my idol. So prior to the game I made my way down along the right field line in foul territory. I began my call, "hey Freehan !", it was constant and impossible to miss. After a lot of yelling out to Bill Freehan, who was warming up in rightfield, he finally came over to me and said, "hey kid, what do you want !!??" My response, "your autograph", he informed me, "I can't give you an autograph when I'm on the field, come over to the clubhouse after the game". Alright, that sounded reasonable. So, now the game has ended and the players had walked from the field to the locker-room/clubhouse that was just across a small parking area that ran outside the field along first base line. I made my way to the clubhouse and a security guard was attempting to shoo me away like I was a pesky insect. I boldly said to the security guy that "Mr. Freehan said for me to come here" After it became obvious that I was NOT going to leave, the guard gave in and stuck his head inside the clubhouse door and yelled, "hey Freehan, some kid says you told him to come see you", I then heard, "send him in" ....so, IN I WENT ! There I found Bill Freehan and most of the entire Tigers team. Now, keep in mind, a few days prior to this my father had smartly found Joe DiMaggio at a Yankees game where he was acting as a hitting instructor. My father got DiMaggio's autograph for me. Now, back to the Tigers clubhouse where I am standing ( all of 11 years old ) next to Bill Freehan ( my idol ) and a group of other Tigers players. My autograph book was making the rounds of the Tigers clubhouse when one of the players noticed that "hey, the kid has Joe D's autograph", at which point a group of players actually gathered around my autograph book to 'gawk' at DiMaggio's autograph. Obviously Joe Dimaggio had some real 'status' with these actual major league players. After the players examined my autograph book the book was then handed to me and I headed for the door through which I had entered. For sure, I was now an EVEN BIGGER Bill Freehan fan ! True story, it really happened to me when I was 11 years old and in the 5th grade ! And I am still a BIG FAN OF BILL FREEHAN ....Hall of Fame with no doubt !
ReplyDeleteThis is an absolutely awesome story and I love it because that would be next to impossible today, but I could totally see a guy like Freehan making a kid's day like this. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteI remember when I worked at McDonalds while I was in high school. Mr Freehan came up to my window to place an order. I definitely got his autograph.
ReplyDeleteYep, I'm jealous, simple as that.
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