ST. LOUIS — The man responsible for one of the most important moments in Cardinals history, has elected not to become a part of the team's hall of fame.
The Cardinals and David Freese announced on Saturday that the St. Louis native would decline his induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame that was set for later this summer.
Freese explained his decision in the statement below:
“This is something that I have given an extreme amount of thought to, humbly, even before the voting process began. 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 said in a release from the Cardinals. "I look at who I was during my tenure, and that weighs heavily on me. 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. 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.”
A St. Louis native and Lafayette High School grad, Freese is most known for his heroics for the Cardinals during the run to the 2011 World Series championship. Most notably, Freese's game-tying triple with two outs in the ninth inning of an elimination game six of the World Series against the Rangers, and subsequent walk-off home run later in that game.
As a Cardinal, Freese hit .286 with a .783 OPS, 44 home runs and 237 RBI in five seasons.
"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 said in a statement. “He is always welcome at Busch Stadium.”
Freese was chosen by the fans for induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame. He is the first to decline induction after being voted in.
Jose Oquendo and Max Lanier will still be inducted as part of the class of 2023 on Aug. 18.
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