The Detroit Tigers lost a family member, as former catcher and 1968 World Series champion Bill Freehan passed away at the age of 79 following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Freehan, who appeared in 155 games during the magical 1968 season, registered career highs in home runs (25), RBIs (84) and runs scored (73) that year. The 11-time All Star played his entire career with the Tigers, appearing in 1,774 games in 1961-76.
Dan Petry, a former Tiger and World Series winner in his own right, joined the Bally Sports Detroit broadcast during this afternoon’s game against the Angels to talk about some of his favorite memories of the late Freehan.
“I mourned him this morning and now I”m celebrating the memories that I have,” Petry explained. “I coached three of his grandsons, and Bill would always show up to watch them when he was healthy. When he started to decline, he’d still show up and sit in the car. In between games, I’d go out and see him. He’d talk about how proud he was of his grandsons.”
Dan Petry joins Matt Shepard and Craig Monroe to talk about his friend Bill Freehan, who passed away at the age of 79. Petry coached Freehan's grandsons. #DetroitRoots pic.twitter.com/lLnpo2PV9l
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) August 19, 2021
