Legendary Detroit Tigers Star Has Passed Away At 79

Detroit Tigers legend and 11-time MLB All Star Bill Freehan has passed away at the age of 79, the team announced on Thursday morning. Freehan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s several years ago and spent the last couple years under hospice care in his northern Michigan home, per the Detroit Free Press.

The Tigers organization released a statement on the catcher’s passing:

“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. 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.”

A statement from the Detroit Tigers: pic.twitter.com/VNSmv4ifL4

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 19, 2021

Born and raised in Detroit, Freehan was a Michigan lifer. The five-time Gold Glove winner attended the University of Michigan (where he also played football) before signing with his hometown MLB team in 1961. After bouncing around the minors for a few seasons, the star catcher burst onto the Major League scene in 1963.

Freehan’s best season came during the Tigers’ 1968 World Series run. On the way to earning a world title for his hometown, he logged a career-high 25 home runs and 84 RBIs — finishing the year at second place in AL MVP voting.

After retiring from the MLB in 1976, Freehan took over as head coach of his alma mater’s baseball team in 1990. He led the Wolverines’ squad in Ann Arbor for six seasons.

Our thoughts are with the Freehan family and the Tigers organization through this difficult time.

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