Bill Freehan Not Doin? So Hot

[tinselwolverine]

Has anybody posted about this yet? I can?t find a thread about it on the Detroit Tigers board.

I only just learned about it when I was looking up Freehan?s football and baseball history at the University of Michigan; guys on this board like Mitchrapp and biggunsbob who have been following Michigan baseball?s journey this season to the CWS along with me know that the last Michigan national championship in baseball was 1962, and I knew that was right around the time Freehan played at Michigan, so I looked up his college record and in the process came across this very sad news.

My dad eventually died of complications related to Alzheimer?s and it is some miserable shit to live through.

Freehan was the Tigers catcher when I became aware of the Tigers and MLB And he was the premier catcher in the American League in his era.


It?s baffling to me how little Hall of Fame consideration he ever garnered.

 

[Mitchrapp]

That's too bad. It seems like more and more people are getting Alzheimer's, my dad had it for nine years. Me and mom were with him 24-7. You get a true understanding of this shitty disease when you have deal with it everyday. May our dads be free of pain in heaven.

I remember Freehan, if not mistaken - was also the head coach at Michigan at one time. It might have been around the time the program got in trouble.

As far as hall of fame, agree. He was in pitching era for much of his career when the mounds were higher then they are today.

May he live his last days in peace.

 

[kalinecountry]

Freehan has been suffering from this terrible disease for a few years.

I remember posting all those story links about him in the Tigers team notes when they came out. It is why he wasn't able to attend the 50 year anniversary of the 1968 Tigers World Series Championship last year.

True, Freehan has never received much support when he was on the ballot and since from the Old timers/Veterans Committee which is a shame. He was the best Catcher of that era in the A.L.

My heartfelt sympathy to both of you and anyone else here who has or had a family member suffer with Alzheimers.

 

[turok]

Both Freehan and McAuliffe share my birthday, which is yet another reason why I more closely followed them, besides becoming a fan by '67 of the Tigers and the teams who they played on afterwards.

 

[motownwebguy]

Freehan's sad news began almost 15 years ago. He's been battling it for a long-long time. If I recall correctly, the initial, original diagnosis was back in 2005. I remember the boys at MotownTigers discussing it back then.

Mt sister has related degenerative Dementia and it's been several years with her.