University of Michigan Hall of Honor
Bill Freehan
- Induction:
- 1978
An all-state football and baseball player at Bishop Barry H.S. in St. Petersburg, Florida, Royal Oak, Michigan, native Bill Freehan decided to stay nearby to play college athletics at the University of Michigan. Though he earned a letter as a sophomore tight end on the football team, Freehan made his loudest noise on the baseball diamond during the 1961 season. In 32 games, the catcher slammed 10 home runs and hit .446 for the 1961 Big Ten champions. His batting average set a Michigan single-season record, while his .585 conference mark was a Big Ten record that still stands 35 years later. He also collected Academic All-Big Ten honors in his only collegiate season. Offered a large contract, Freehan signed with the Detroit Tigers during the summer of 1961. He played in four games in the majors in 1961, returning in 1963 and playing through the 1976 campaign, all with the Tigers. Freehan was an 11-time All-Star, earning five Gold Glove awards and hitting 200 home runs and driving in 758 runs. He still holds the major league record for career fielding percentage for a catcher (.993). In 1989, Freehan returned to his alma mater and took over the head baseball coaching job, a position he held for six seasons. His coaching highlight came in 1994, when he led the Wolverines to a second-place finish in the conference playoffs.
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