Why David Freese declined Cardinals Hall of Fame induction: Fan favorite, World Series hero turns down big honor

Kevin Skiver

Why David Freese declined Cardinals Hall of Fame induction: Fan favorite, World Series hero turns down big honor image

Former MLB third baseman David Freese had a good run with the Cardinals. In five years with his hometown club, he hit .286/.356/.427, made an All-Star Game appearance and was voted MVP of the 2011 World Series, which St. Louis won in seven games over Texas.

Those aren't exactly Hall of Fame numbers, though, and Freese seems to agree. So much so, he turned down an opportunity to be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame, an honor he says "means more" than the World Series win.

The fan vote to induct Freese likely was heavily influenced by Game 6 of the 2011 World Series against the Rangers. He hit a game-tying triple with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Cardinals down 3-2 in the series, and then followed that with a walk-off home runs in the 11th inning to force a Game 7, which St. Louis won for its 11th title. He etched his name into St. Louis and MLB lore with that game.

Why did David Freese decline to be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame? 

In a statement made through the Cardinals, Freese gave his reasoning:

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. 

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.

Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. also released a statement:

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. He is always welcome at Busch Stadium.

With Freese out, the Cardinals will have just two people in this year's Hall of Fame class: former pitcher Max Lanier and longtime player and coach Jose Oquendo. They were selected by the Hall's Red Ribbon Committee and team ownership, respectively. The induction ceremony is set for Aug. 20.

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David Freese Cardinals stats

Freese put together solid stats for St. Louis. He batted .290 or better and posted an OPS+ of 100 or better in each of his first four seasons with the team.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold, Freese told the team he wasn't "deserving" of the Hall of Fame honor. Goold also noted that Freese will continue to work for the club and make personal appearances.

Year G PA AB R H HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+
2009 17 34 31 3 10 1 7 2 7 .323 .353 .484 .837 121
2010 70 270 240 28 71 4 36 21 59 .296 .361 .404 .765 109
2011 97 363 333 41 99 10 55 24 75 .297 .350 .441 .791 119
2012 144 567 501 70 147 20 79 57 122 .293 .372 .467 .839 129
2013 138 521 462 53 121 9 60 47 106 .262 .340 .381 .721 99
Totals 466 1755 1567 195 448 44 237 151 369 .286 .356 .427 .783 115

It would be hard to find an analog for Freese in the Cardinals Hall of Fame. Other fan votes include Keith Hernandez and Mark McGwire, whose inclusions are obvious. Vince Coleman, who spent six years as a Cardinal, led the National League in stolen bases every year he was in St. Louis. 

Through that lens, Freese's decision makes sense, despite the difficulty he had in coming to it. Freese will always be a Cardinals World Series hero. For him, it appears, that's enough.

Kevin Skiver

Kevin Skiver Photo

Kevin Skiver has been a content producer at Sporting News since 2021. He previously worked at CBS Sports as a trending topics writer, and now writes various pieces on MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and college sports. He enjoys hiking and eating, not necessarily in that order.