St. Louis Cardinals postseason hero David Freese declined his election to the team’s Hall of Fame.
Three months after Cardinals fans voted him into the storied franchise’s HOF, the team announced Saturday that the 2011 World Series MVP would withdraw his candidacy.
“This is something that I have given an extreme amount of thought to, humbly, even before the voting process began,” Freese said in a statement released by the team. “I am aware of the impact I had helping the team bring great memories to the city I grew up in, including the 11th championship, but this honor means more to me.”
Freese grew up in the St. Louis area and spent the first five seasons of his 11-year career with the Cardinals.
Freese hit .286/.356/.427 with 44 home runs over that period, making an All-Star appearance in 2012.
Freese is best known for his heroics in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, when, with the Cardinals down 3-2 series and down to their last strike in the ninth inning, he tied the game with a two-run triple and then won the game in the 11th inning on a walk-off home run.
The Cardinals would win Game 7 with Freese being named the series MVP.
But a troubled past in Mound City may be keeping him from accepting the team’s highest honors.
“I was depressed. I was always depressed,’’ Freese said at the time. “I never tried to do anything to myself, but I didn’t care about my life. I didn’t care what would happen to me. It was almost to a point that, ‘If this is my time, so be it.’”
In 2017, then with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Freese spoke with USA Today about the depression, anxiety and struggles with alcohol that nearly crippled him during his days in St. Louis.
“I look at who I was during my tenure, and that weighs heavily on me,” Freese said in this weekend’s statement. “The Cardinals and the entire city have always had my back in every way. I’m forever grateful to be part of such an amazing organization and fan base then, now and in the future. I’m especially sorry to the fans that took the time to cast their votes.
“Cardinal Nation is basically the reason why I’ve unfortunately waited so long for this decision and made it more of a headache for so many people,” the statement read. “I feel strongly about my decision and understand how people might feel about this. I get it. I’ll wear it. Thank you for always being there for me, and I am excited to be around the Cardinals as we move forward.”
Freese will continue to be a part of the franchise going forward, according to the release.
The St. Louis Dispatch reported that Freese’s Landing, an area at Busch Stadium where his famous Game 6 home run landed, will remain at the ballpark.
“Although we are disappointed that David has declined to be inducted into our Hall of Fame, we respect his decision and look forward to celebrating his great Cardinals career in other ways going forward,” Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III. “He is always welcome at Busch Stadium.”
