David Freese David Freese David Freese Born: April 28, 1983 Position: Third base Mid-Missouri Connection: Freese attended the University of Missouri his freshman year. Although offered a baseball scholarship, he didn’t take it. At the time, he thought he was done with baseball. MLB Debut: April 6, 2009, for the St. Louis Cardinals Career Statistics: Batting average: .296 Home runs: 35 Runs batted in: 177 Teams: St. Louis Cardinals ---2009–present)
Considering you were on a break from baseball while at MU, how did you grow while a Tiger? What did you take from your time in Columbia? Quitting baseball after high school was a tough decision, but the right one at the time for me. It’s what I wanted to do. Go to Mizzou as a student and not play ball. It allowed me to evaluate my life and come to the realization I was a baseball player and that’s what I wanted to do. I loved my time at Mizzou and always enjoy going back. A great year there in school led me back to playing ball.
“ I am very excited about this team this year.”
I’ve read that you at first didn’t believe it was Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak calling with an offer. You were already in the MLB. How important or exciting was it to get to be a Cardinal? I got the call from Mo while I was at a Burger King in California. I loved playing in the Padres organization but was thrilled to become a Cardinal. Yes, at first I wasn’t too sure if it was actually Mo who left the message or a buddy messing around, but when the Padres called me, I knew I had been dealt. Those two at-bats in World Series Game 6 ― how did you pull that off? I mean, if you were coaching, what would you tell someone in that kind of pressure situation was the key to success? You have to embrace the situations that God
puts you in. The good and the bad. It’s all about poise. The results will not always be how you want but the effort needs to be there. Preparation is a huge part of becoming successful. What experiences and opportunities stand out as the most memorable or fun, on the field and off? I got to do some cool things after the World Series. Being on “Leno” and “Ellen” was amazing. I’ve always said this, though: The coolest moment was standing in the end zone at the Mizzou-Texas football game [Nov. 12, 2011] surrounded by the whole stadium on their feet cheering. I will never forget that feeling. What motivates you? I want to win. For me, it’s about winning. Everything else that comes with being in the big leagues is great, but nothing compares to winning a championship. How are you feeling as the 2013 season begins? I am very excited about this team this year. It’s a talented group with a ton of desire, but we have a lot of fun, too, and you need that during a six-month grind. Health is always the first thing you need to be a contender. If we can stay healthy, I like our chances to compete.
Career Highlights: David Freese will forever be remembered for his batting in the 2011 World Series championship. In Game 6, facing two outs and two strikes, he hit a triple in the ninth inning to tie the game, and then in the 11th — again with two strikes — he hit a walk-off home run.His bat had already earned him the 2011 National League Championship Series MVP award, and when the Cardinals won the championship in Game 7, he became the World Series MVP as well. His 21 RBIs in the 2011 postseason set an MLB record and earned him the 2011 Babe Ruth Award. He is also a 2012 All-Star.