Former major leaguer David Freese debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009 and had a decent run with his hometown team before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels.
Playing third base, he posted a slash line of .286/.356/.427 in five seasons and was an All-Star (2012). Most notably, he was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2011 World Series, which St. Louis won in seven games over the Texas Rangers.
He was recently voted into the St. Louis franchise Hall of Fame by the fans. However, he turned down the opportunity to be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame, which he said meant more to him than winning the World Series.
He said he doesn’t have the numbers to be in the Hall of Fame and therefore doesn’t deserve to be.
The fan vote is believed to have been influenced by his heroics in the 2011 World Series.
David Freese celebrates his game-winning home run in the 11th inning of Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. Photo by Getty Images.먹튀검증
He hit a two-run triple with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 6, when the Cardinals were down 3-2 in the series, and then a game-winning solo home run in the 11th inning of extra innings to tie the game at 9-9, sending the series from near defeat to a decisive Game 7. He also hit a two-run double in the first inning of Game 7. He set the record for most RBIs in a single postseason (21) and won MVP honors for his crucial contributions to St. Louis’ 11th championship.
“It’s something I’ve humbly thought about since before the voting began,” he said in a statement declining induction. “I know the contributions I’ve made to the city I was born and raised in, including winning 11 championships, but the honor of being inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame means even more to me,” he said.
“When I look back at who I was during my playing career, it weighs heavily on me,” he said, adding that he didn’t have the cumulative numbers to be inducted into the St. Louis Hall of Fame.
Freeze went on to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers before retiring after the 2019 season.