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David Freese Announces Retirement

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David Freese announced his retirement from baseball today.

Freese is of course most well known for his unassailable performance in the 2011 postseason for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Missouri native improbably knocked a two-out, two-run triple for his hometown team in the bottom of the ninth of game six to keep the Cardinals alive. Then just for kicks, he went ahead and won it with a walk-off home run leading off the 11th inning to force game seven. Not to outdo himself, but when the Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first of game seven, Freese responded in the bottom half with a game-tying 2-run double. It is not an understatement to put Freese’s 2011 among the most clutch and dramatically interesting performances in baseball history.

His postseason heroics were not anomalous to 2011, however, as in 230 career postseason plate appearances spanning 69 games, Freese hit .299/.370/.549 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs for the Cardinals, Angels, and Dodgers. In terms of win probability added, Freese’s 2011 World Series performance ranks second all-time only to Willie Aikens for the 1980 Kansas City Royals, who hit four home runs with a .538 OBP in six games against the Phillies.

In terms of regular season achievement, Freese was a more modest performer. He holds a career batting line of .277/.351/.423 with 113 home runs in 1,184 games for the Cardinals, Angels, Pirates, and Dodgers. He only once hit more than 15 home runs in a season, and he handled the transition into part-time player with aplomb. As much as he was an extra man for the Dodgers the last two seasons, given their lack of obvious need at first and third base, his retirement is nonetheless a blow for the Dodgers coming off their defeat in the NLDS. It is not so much his skillset they will miss, not with Justin Turner, Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger on hand at the corners, but his personage, as all indications point to Freese as a class-act, veteran leader, and as mentioned, a singular clutch performer. If there were such a thing as a postseason specialist, Freese would be the mold.

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Comments

  2. But but but… he hit .500 in this postseason… but oh well 36 years old is a good age. Better to retire with 3 wheels rather than 2.

  3. Thanks for all the moments, David. Best of luck in your post-playing future.

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    • Nice, underrated player. Good, solid career with more big time moments than some “superstars”.

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        • Well, actually, the evidence here would suggest to the contrary. Most of us on this thread came to comment on the announcement and congratulate a true professional for a great career. A few trolls came to use the post as an opportunity to plant some negativity. With all due respect sir, I would suggest that it is your life that needs some self-examiniation.

          1

  6. 1.000+ OPS in his final year after never coming close to it, then calling it quits out of nowhere after a spectacular year at the plate kinda screams PEDs to me, but he’s been a fine player, wish he’d stick around.

    2

    • Your comment screams stupidity. He was talked out of retiring after the 2018 season.

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      • Right, and doing PEDs to stay healthy for one last time around makes sense.

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        • Strike Five-That is really a stupid comment for such a class act as David Freese.
          You never have anything good to say about anybody.
          Trolls like you should just keep quiet.It is better to do so and be thought stupid than to talk and remove all doubt.

          5

        • StrikeFour so the best you got for proof is that Frees retired? Hahahha ok whatever haha

    • So ignorant lol. He rakes lefty’s and only hit lefties the whole year and almost retried after last year but dodgers convinced him to stay for another

      10

      • I actually get the comment given the recent history of years past. I don’t agree as I’ve never heard any rumors about Freeze but just a few years ago, I thought the same thing about Papi. I may be a Sox fan, but I try to remain objective.

        1

        • Remaining objective and just flat out making stuff up is two different things

          4

      • He hit righties to a .361 clip this year. Maybe you need to do a bit of research before your display such ignorance.

    • Sounds like he’s going out on a good note instead of playing until he is fighting for a roster spot every year. With the baseball being different this year a large number of players saw huge improvements to their stats. The ball is juiced not the players.

      4

    • Well thats because your sports acumen is smaller than a pebble. He has been dealing with injuries constantly and his sample size last season was pretty small.

      2

      • I know more in my thumbnail than you ever will. Test him now, I bet he doesn’t pass – and guess what? I don’t even care if he did do them, youre the one with the anti-PED bias, not me. I’d rather see him roid up and keep mashing.

        • You’re such a clown trying to go off and swear to the world he is on PEDs when he retires just because he had a 1.000+ OPS in a small sample size. They do regularly test for PEDs during the season.

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        • StrikeFour neither your thumbnail nor any part of your body knows anything

          1

    • People keep saying that a player’s best years are between ages 27 and 32, and that performance declines quickly after that. Freese will be 37 shortly after the start of the 2020 season. At that age, it gets harder to play a game that relies on split second timing, Better to leave on his own terms. Wouldn’t be surprised if he shows up as a coach or minor league manager.

    • What? He retired. Even if he did do PEDs (which sounds extremely unlikely) then why would it matter? His career is over. It isn’t like he’s going to get suspended or anything. Your comment does not make sense.

      • He retired before he got caught.

        Please stop with all the pearl clutching, even the “Good guys” arent perfect angels. I also personally prefer players use PEDs, so all your dumb hate reply guy posts are irrelevant.

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        • This is a ridiculous and frankly ignorant take. To say guys are taking PED’s without an ounce of evidence is terrible.

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        • I highly doubt he did PED’s in his career and with that unless you can point in his career there was any suspicion of usage then your opinion is well worthless.

          Some players like to retire when they know it was the best they could give and have nothing left. David will most likely become a bench coach and manager in the near future and I wish him the best…

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        • He certainly has the potential to be one but I think that the ceaseless travel gets to many of these guys after awhile and he would have to overcome that if he wants to get into management at that level.Also,they quite often have to go back to the minors for at least several years and many do not want to do that if they have had long careers and made a lot of money.

    • Geez Strike Fourtnite. There are much better ways to get attention. I hate to be the guy,…….but, everyone thinks you’re, well….. I dont want to be too harsh. What’s another word for idiot? You wouldn’t know a baseball if it hit you in the face.

      3

    • Let’s just ignore the fact that the entire game of baseball has changed this year with the new ball and record-setting amount of homeruns and ignore the fact that small-ball type players around the league were all of a sudden setting career marks in homers and ignore the fact that Freese was only facing left-handed pitching to boost his numbers and place all of the reasoning on a completely unfounded and unevidenced claim of PEDs.

      You want people to think you know baseball but then double down on stuff like this, it’s like telling people you are an expert hunter while shooting yourself in the foot.

      1

      • Strike four is the worst poster on this board, but I wouldn’t label Freese as classy? Freese is an alcoholic. Has multiple DWI and he once blew a .232. He’s lucky he didn’t kill someone. In another event in 2013, he was arrested for public intoxication and obstructing a police officer in Lake Elsinore, .

        Freese has his issues, I hope he’s gotten through them. But I’m not sure the world classy is appropriate.

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    • Dumb. Just plain stupidity. You know nothing about me or why I hit like I did this season (Bench player, matchups, fresh legs, hitting coaches, smarter, push of an org, juiced balls). Really shows your knowledge of the game. Plus I was going to retire a year ago until I became a dodger. I retired because of injuries and I felt like it. If you knew anything you would’ve held your breath on me, especially PED bs. Save your comments for when you have something of substance. Thank you from everyone else✌

      4

    • It was a dumb comment.

      Don’t you realize what small sample size means. He had 162 hand picked ABs against pitchers he could hit.

      To project PED use based on 162 is ignorantly stupid.

      1

    • It’s not out of no where. He’s 36 years old, and it’s not even like his health stayed up the entire year for him to show that 1.000 OPS would last for a whole year. He has been to 3 world series, has a 2011 ring, and wanted to go off on a high note.

    • Strike Four do you know anything about anything other than your constant hate mongoring

    • @StrikeFour Sure am glad you’re not a police officer. Quick to judge without any valid substantive proof.

  8. A good player that will probably always be one of those, “Remember when…”

  10. 2011 World Series one of the best ever to watch, best wishes to a solid ballplayer

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  11. I’ll never forget that 2011 World Series. I was watching that game with my girlfriend at the time where he hit that triple; even my gf who wouldn’t know Babe Ruth from Barry Bonds was captivated by that game.

    Best of luck, Freese.

  13. Good luck, I’d have liked to see him get a full season of at bats before retiring but I’m glad he did what he wanted.

  14. I think this season put him over 10 years of MLB service time which should qualify for a full pension. For a guy who always battled injuries, probably not the worst time to hang up his cleats.

    1

      • You have to be on the MLB roster for 172 days to get a full year of service time for a season. Most rookie seasons don’t qualify.

    • I think you get a full pension after 5 years. 10 years should get him on the HOF ballot though. Who knows, maybe he will even get a vote or two. He’s not a HOFer by any standards, but who cares. I always enjoy looking at the bottom of the results to see who got 1 vote.

  15. Willie Aikens was NOT Scott Baio’s dimwitted yet flappably excitable best friend Buddy on Charles in Charge.

  16. Freese was one of NH’s best hires as he helped the Pirates for 2 1/2 years just by his veteran presence alone.I always found it interesting that the Dodgers actually lowered his salary this year from the option year amount that the Pirates had signed him to.
    This announcement does not surprise me as he said last year that he would not hunt for a new team and go through free agency just to make a few million dollars per year.
    He was always a clutch hitter in the post season and perennial playoff teams should have always been in on him.He was also outspoken as he stated in spring training in 2018 about how much the Pirates were lacking in the will to win now.Too bad that it took upper management two years to figure that out
    They could have really used him again this year as they had no veteran leadership which was obvious during their two ugly periods of 4 in 28 and the nine game losing streak.
    He is a class act and I wish him well in his retirement.

  18. A tremendous teammate and professional. Congratulations on a great career David!

    1

  20. Freese carved out a pretty good career. One of the many Cardinals who have come out of nowhere to make an impact, and did he ever in 2011. Little surprised as he can still swing it.

  21. I bet he signs a 1 day contract with the Cardinals and retires as a Cardinal.

  22. I’ll never forget him in game six of the World Series against the Rangers. Game seven was a foregone conclusion after that

  23. Damn. Was hoping he’d be back for one year. Thank you for your contributions, David. Enjoy your retirement.

  25. 2011 playoff run was one of the greatest things I’ve seen.

    He’ll forever be, the improbable legend.

  26. Cardinal fan for 35 years; Freese’s post season results are historic.

    Interesting…..David Freese, Ryan Howard and Luke Voit all went to the same Missouri High School, Lafayette High School.

    1

    • It didn’t help that the rangers had Nelson Cruz in right field.. ron Washington pitched to freese and Berkman who were hitting just over .600. While walking pujols had 5 hits the entire series. I believe it was game 3 or 4 that he hit 3 home runs. which is rare as well.

      And that pitcher in the 11th inning was scared to his core. And probably dookied his pants before pitching to freese

    • Oh wow that is interesting that those 3 went to the same high school

  27. Thanks for the good times Dave, enjoy retirement and sorry the Dodgers FO missed out on getting you guys a bullpen to bring one home on your way out

  29. He should thank Ron Washington for pitching to him in that world series. The cardinals had no business winning that world series

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