Gene Freese

Gene Freese
Gene Freese
	Third baseman
	Born: January 8, 1934; Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S.
	Died: June 18, 2013 (aged 79); Metairie, Louisiana, U.S.
	Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
	April 13, 1955, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Last MLB appearance
	September 3, 1966, for the Houston Astros
MLB statistics
Batting average	.254
Home runs	115
Runs batted in	432
Teams
	Pittsburgh Pirates (1955–1958); St. Louis Cardinals (1958); Philadelphia Phillies (1959); Chicago White Sox (1960); Cincinnati Reds (1961–1963); Pittsburgh Pirates (1964–1965); Chicago White Sox (1965–1966); Houston Astros (1966);

Eugene Lewis Freese (January 8, 1934 – June 18, 2013), was an American professional baseball third baseman, who was widely noted as a journeyman. Freese played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates (twice), St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox (twice), Cincinnati Reds, and Houston Astros, for 12 seasons (1955–1966).^[1]

Freese's career batting average stands at .254, in 1,115 games played, with 115 home runs and 432 runs batted in (RBI). During his playing days, he was listed as 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall, weighing 175 pounds (79 kg); Freese batted and threw right-handed.^[1] He was nicknamed "Augie", as a Pirate rookie, in 1955, by teammates, (named) after umpire Augie Donatelli, who was calling balls and strikes in Freese's first big league game.

Early life

Freese was a native of Wheeling, West Virginia. He signed with the Pirates in 1953 and played for 17 seasons in professional baseball.

Baseball career

Freese was a member of the 1961 National League (NL) champion Reds. Acquired in an off-season interleague deal with the White Sox, he reached career highs in home runs (26), RBI (87) and games played (152 – 151 of which were at third base), as Cincinnati won its first pennant since 1940.^[1] In the 1961 World Series, won by the New York Yankees in five games, Freese batted only .063 (1-for-16) and was the victim of one of two spectacular defensive plays by his third-base counterpart, Clete Boyer, in the Series opener.

The following year, Freese broke an ankle during a spring training intrasquad game^[2] and missed almost the entire 1962 season. He never regained his 1961 form, although he stayed in MLB through 1966. Freese's 877 major league hits included 161 doubles, 28 triples and 115 home runs.^[1] He led NL third basemen in errors in 1957 and 1959.

Freese died on June 18, 2013, in Metairie, Louisiana.^[3] His older brother, George, briefly played Major League Baseball and was a longtime scout and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) manager.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Gene Freese Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
^ Freese sidelined by broken ankle
^ Former New Orleans baseball player Gene Freese dies at age 79

External links

Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
Gene Freese at Astros Daily
Gene Freese at Find a Grave

[bbreffreesemaj-1] "Gene Freese Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.

[2] Freese sidelined by broken ankle

[3] Former New Orleans baseball player Gene Freese dies at age 79

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