DETROIT -- Bill Freehan, who spent his entire 15-year career with his hometown Detroit Tigers and was considered one of the best catchers in franchise history, died Thursday. He was 79.
An excellent defensive catcher and five-time Gold Glove winner, Freehan also had 200 home runs and 1,592 career hits. He was an 11-time All-Star and a key member of the Tigers’ 1968 World Series championship team.
“Bill Freehan was one of the greatest men I’ve ever played alongside, or had the pleasure of knowing,” said Tigers legend Willie Horton. “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.”
Born in Detroit and raised in Royal Oak, Freehan’s family moved to Florida during his high school years, but he continued playing on the summer baseball scene in Detroit. He accepted a football and baseball scholarship to the University of Michigan and signed with the Tigers in 1961. He made his debut that summer and established himself as the club’s regular catcher in 1963.
After his playing career, Freehan started his own business in the automotive industry until returning to his alma mater to serve as head coach of the baseball team from 1990-1995.
He later served for a time as a catching instructor in the Tigers organization.
Freehan’s grandson, Blaise Salter, played in the Tigers’ minor-league system from 2015-2018.
“From a young age, my grandfather instilled in me the importance of leaving the world better than you found it,” Salter wrote. “I can say with great confidence that is exactly what he did and how he lived his life.”
Freehan had suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease for several years.