Phillipss book intersperses excerpts from interviews. Remembering the career of tigers catcher bill freehan. At the time, mclain was also facing controversy for his association with illegal gamblers. Fleetwood mac behind the mask clamshell rare orig cassette tape india indian. Buy behind the mask an inside baseball diary a maddick manuscripts book by freehan, bill isbn. Bill freehan is in the top 15 no matter how you measure it. After retiring, he coached tigers catcher lance parrish on the fine points of playing his position. Freehan wrote about in his book, but they decline to discuss the impact that the book had on the teams morale during the disastrous 1970 season. In 1969, bill freehan published a diarystyle tellall book called behind the mask. It was the 196061 school year, during a time when great social change was being launched on so many fronts. Bill freehan was an allstar catcher for the detroit tigers when i was a kid, and was on the 1968 world series champion team.
Bill freehan society for american baseball research. Buy a cheap copy of behind the mask bill freehan book. Baseball almanac is sorry to advise you, but there are currently no bill freehan books currently listed on. It came out in 1970, the same year as jim boutons ball four. While still playing, bill would release a book, behind the mask. In his book, behind the mask, the tiger catcher had criticized mclain for his prima donna attitude, and tonight he. An inside baseball diary hardcover book has been handsigned on the inside cover page in blue ink pen by bill freehan detroit tigers. Gay interest charles demuth behind laughing mask signed first edition 1971. This was a frustrating year for both freehan and the team were not pitching, were not fielding, were not hitting, were not thinking even though they finished a distant second behind the blazing baltimore orioles. Freehans book is the only one of the four that resulted from the subjects own initiative.
Bill freehan and 0 related entities entities finder. Among others, freehan criticized teammate denny mclain for his wild, undisciplined lifestyle. In 1969, freehan penned behind the mask, a diarytype recording of his thoughts and experiences as seen from the catchers perspective. Just as with mickey mantle, who also was a 1951 rookie player and rookie card, this card is in the last and more difficult bowman series. An inside baseball diary, which might not have made. Bill freehan published a book, behind the mask, following the 1969 season.
That started a connection that i feel towards freehan that still exists to this day, and as ive mentioned. Thats not just a heck of a career, thats a heck of a life. William coday was a model employee a mildmannered, 40yearold librarian who completely lost control when his girlfriend left him. If you have read ball four, by jim bouton, you will recognize the structure employed in bill freehans behind the mask. In 1969, freehan penned behind the mask, a diarytype recording of. Kennedy, in a speech on the steps of the michigan union less than four weeks from the presidential election, spoke about a. An inside baseball diary paperback january 1, 1969 3. I had freehans poster in my bedroom along with another tiger, al kaline and another catcher, johnny bench growing up. Although fans booed freehan after the publication of behind the mask, all was forgotten when the catcher made a strong comeback from the surgery in 1971. Every sociopath wears a mask of nice, sweet, handsome, awesomeguy or gal until the truth rips it off. An inside baseball diary, offering an in depth look at baseball players lives.
Theyre also extremely limited in the way they think. Freehan caught 114 shutouts during his career, ranking him 18th alltime among major league catchers. This did not go over well with teammates and fans, as the media focused on. Id read his book, behind the mask, a diary of the 1969 season. This book is an inside look at that team and the career of bill freehan, who was a local kid that made good. The sociopath behind the mask true love scam recovery. I personally have to question how folks are assessing things if freehan being in the top 20. Bill freehan american professional baseball player.
Boutons book was much more scandalous at the time, as it. Fans didnt like to think about the players in the way he wrote about them and booed freehan for a few months, but bill silenced them by having a great 1971. He played his entire 15year major league baseball career as a catcher for the detroit tigers. And not far from where mclain had greeted brown was bill freehans locker. The lot autographs includes an official psadna hologram and matching coa for authenticity purposes. It is a journal or daily diary recording the games and events that transpired during the 1969 tigers baseball season. William ashley freehan is an american former professional baseball player. We have new and used copies available, in 0 edition starting at.
Bill freehan made his major league debut on 09261961 with the detroit tigers. The year after the tigers won the world series, freehan kept a diary that would eventually become a book called behind the mask. In behind the mask, you will not read about chronic drug abuse or the sexcapades of twentysomethings during long road trips, although there is a funny story about tom timmermanns blind date in seattle. To his surprise, safe behind the obscene mask, he found himself suddenly free to play the clown, and the act got laughs as never before. In contrast to boutons scandalous book, bill freehan offered mainstream opinions about baseball with respect for his teammates, coaches. The diary, cowritten with veteran author dick schaap, would come out as a book in 1970, called behind the mask, and would cause major controversy in detroit. Under billy martin, the tigers bounced back into second place, and freehan topped al catchers with a. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The tiger catcher had already started his own, handwritten diary at the tiger training camp in lakeland, fla. Bill freehan in his diary of the 1969 season, behind the mask chris jaffe, in this excerpt from a soontobepublished book on managers, details the manic steals of. One of my early favorites was behind the mask, bill freehans journal of the 1969 season as the tigers attempted to defend their 1968 championship, only to be foiled by one of the better teams of that era, the 1969 baltimore orioles.
More of dick schaaps shoptalk with the help of bill freehan, the detroit tigers ace catcher covering the 19691970 season. A story in the detroit free press last year reported that he can no longer walk, speak or feed himself. Freehan was an 11time allstar catcher for the tigers. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The following season freehan kept a diary, which would later be published as the book behind the mask. When his teammates talk about their ball club, they often refer to the same stories that mr. Freehan was in his first year of retirement after 15 years with the tigers. A fourth book, tiger catcher bill freehans behind the mask, has provided the article that begins on page 54 of this issue. The threestory log house overlooking walloon lake on michigans lower peninsula seemed a fitting residence for a former baseball star, so bill.
The book would stir up considerable controversy in the spring of 1970, when sports illustrated ran excerpts that emphasized criticism of tigers ace denny mclain. Bill freehan, now 77, lives in hospice care, having suffered from severe dementia for years. Former detroit tigers catcher bill freehan one of many ex. An inside baseball diary, we highly recommend it and inside that book he shared a legendary list that we preserved when we started the site. Behind the mask an inside baseball diary a maddick. In 1968, sparma lost his spot in the rotation after a runin with manager mayo smith. Freehan also penned a book on catching entitled behind the mask, and tutored at least two future big league catchers in lance parrish and mike matheny, the latter of whom he molded while coaching michigans baseball team. From there, freehan signed a contract to write a book, behind the mask, which chronicled the entire 1969 season. What most people do not realize in todays world was when dr. Letter from the publisher sports illustrated vault. Check back frequently to see if books do appear as we update this service daily. Strange but true turns 50 articles bill james online.
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