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Cardinals postseason hero David Freese: ‘I was probably going to be a Red Sox’ 10.15.12 at 2:06 am ET
By Alex Speier

Postseason hero David Freese was almost a member of the Red Sox organization. (AP)

A year ago, the story of David Freese seemed almost impossible to believe. No longer.

The Cardinals third baseman anchored the run of his hometown Cardinals to an improbable World Series in 2011, earning honors as both the NLCS and World Series MVP. Twelve months later, he is continuing his remarkable exploits on baseball’s brightest stage.

Freese jumpstarted the Cardinals’ 6-4 victory over the Giants in Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday night, blasting a two-run homer off Madison Bumgarner to give St. Louis a lead it never relinquished. The 1-for-4 game gave Freese a .360/.414/.600/1.014 line with a homer, three doubles and four runs batted in through seven postseason games this year. In his two postseasons, he is now hitting .386/.449/.739/1.188 with six homers and 25 RBI in 25 games.

The whole thing would have been unimaginable back when he was ignored twice out of the University of South Alabama in the draft. But he took a step forward as a fifth-year senior at the University of South Alabama, and that’s where he nearly found his way into the Red Sox organization.

“Not too many people know that,” Freese acknowledged sheepishly this year.

In 2006, the draft rules permitted fifth-year seniors to sign as free agents once their baseball seasons concluded, so long as the team’s season was done prior to the MLB draft. And so, as the South Alabama season wound down, Freese — who had a huge year as a fifth-year senior, hitting .414/.503/.661/1.165 with 12 homers — was talking to teams about the possibility of signing in the days leading up to the draft.

The Sox were perhaps the most aggressive of those teams. Area scout Danny Watkins was convinced that, even though Freese was old for his competition, his bat was legitimate.

“David was a hard-nosed player who was willing to sacrifice his body at third base and had a strong throwing arm. But, his defensive skills were just fringy average,” Watkins recalled in an email. “However, it was the consensus (within our department) that he had a better than fair chance of hitting (with some power) major league pitching.”

But a somewhat unexpected turn of events took place. South Alabama — thanks in part to a remarkable performance by pitcher P.J. Walters, whom Freese recalled beating Florida State in an outing of perhaps 150 pitches to bump up the team’s RPI — received an at-large bid to the College World Series Regional tournament. South Alabama’s season was prolonged beyond the start of the draft. And so, Freese could not sign with a team before the draft.

“If we didn’t make the regional, I was probably going to be a Red Sox before the draft,” said Freese. “I was close. Obviously, I’m glad the way things worked out.”

The way things worked out took Freese in anything but a straight line. He was taken by the Padres in the ninth round of the 2006 draft, a spot that reflected the questions about his defensive abilities, and as a senior without any negotiating leverage, he signed for just $6,000 — a fraction of what he would have gotten from the Sox had he been eligible to sign before the draft. He exceeded defensive expectations as he made his way through the minors, and Freese consistently mashed to secure prospect status beyond what one would typically associate with a player who went undrafted as a junior.

The Cardinals acquired Freese from the Padres after the 2007 season in exchange for Jim Edmonds, and the 29-year-old has now emerged as a star for the team he rooted for as a kid. This year, he built upon his incredible postseason performance of 2011 by earning an All-Star spot while hitting .293/.372/.467/.839 with 20 homers in 144 games.

Obviously, such a player would have become a considerable asset for the Sox had he signed with them. Instead, the team is left to appreciate his emergence from afar.

“It didn’t surprise anyone that he saved his best performances (in 2011 post season) for the biggest moments,” Watkins wrote. “Looking back, it was his personality that was one of the biggest ‘pluses’ in my mind. I was very impressed with him and felt like he was a person that would endure any hardship in his pursuit of playing MLB.”

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  • Anonymous

    Could’ve,should’ve…who cares…I guess they have nothing to write about the new manager yet.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Anderson/100000065630538 Bill Anderson

    The other disappointing part of this is the Sox did not draft him before the 9th round in 2006. They valued Negron and Cabreja over him in rounds 7 and 8. This reminds me of the pass on Pujols because they would not agree to his bonus requests.

  • CalifSoxFan

    they would have traded him anyway like all the other young outfielders they’ve traded for the likes of Gagne (Murphy) and Bailey (Reddick), saying he wasn’t patient enough or some other stats-based reason.

  • Ty

    I don’t think there’s any question his deep ball is just slightly off from where it used to be a couple years ago, but there’s also no question he’s still well above average in that department; look no further than the Houston playoff game–he hit several deep throws to receivers not that gifted in the height department in stride, and he also did the same to them in their previous match-up too actually.  One thing TB does sometimes that affects his deep throws is putting slightly too much air underneath them, but obviously that wouldn’t be as big of a problem if he had a deep threat that could go up and get one for you.  I agree though, I think they should still keep the group they have now together; if they can stay healthy, there hasn’t been anyone out there who has shown an ability to stop them on a consistent basis.  I always have and will continue to stand by this–when the Patriots are fairly healthy on offense, they’re the best offense in the league.

  • Anonymous

    Welker’s a warrior! No tougher S.O.B. in Football! Sign him up! 

  • Tom Brady

    I’m a huge WW fan. However, I think he is getting paid what he’s worth
    (9.4million). I mean he’s great short, underneath receiver but he’s not a game
    changer!  If he wants a huge payday, I
    think he will have to go elsewhere, unfortunately.  He will probably get a slight raise to like
    11million per for three years but about it

  • Uncle Buck

    I have an odd feeling that what seemed like a done deal right after Brady restructured, may in fact become a big mess.  Welker is a strange cat in many ways.  Logically, you would think once he saw what Brady had done, he would have seen his payday in front of him and sit down with the Pat’s and hammer out a deal.  Not so sure now.  He will get some very attractive offers in my opinion.  The Patriots may have blown this when they tagged him and left him out there last season.  As Welker said at that time, “a leap of faith”.  I don’t think he appreciated that whole sequence of events.  It is going to be a big story.

  • PatsFan24x7_365

    curiously….how do these “reports” and “sources” appear?. funny how everything goes away as soon as a contract is offered and signed, just saying…GO PATS!!!

  • Fab4ever

    I know…you just scratch your head…I get it…they want to feel “worthy” in the eyes of their peers…there’s bragging rights, a pecking order but when these comments are made public, I wanna take them down a few notches and make them work as an MBTA bus driver….

  • Bruinman86

     Besides, why would Welker go to Denver???  Manning likely has 1-2 years left in the league and is a ticking time bomb with regards to injuries.  I would think he’d either Stay in NE or go to someplace like Indy and play with a younger QB in Luck – especially if the deal is long term. Meanwhile, with the likeliness of the Pats dumping Lloyd, they will be in need of impact WR’s and Welker is already a proven thing.  Pay the man and let’s move on.

  • ILoveHockey

    Denver had a pretty good record last year after they worked the kinks out the first few weeks.

  • Theghostoftito

    Really? Green Bay. They have Randall Cobb at 600k per year and Nelson at 3.5 million a year and they are younger and more versatile. Yeah. That makes sense. Stick to ping pong.

  • anarchialdesire
  • TP

    I had a mild disdain watching The Giants win the Superbowl at the Patriots expense, all thanks to Welker.  Go drop balls for somebody else when it matters.

  • Davetokel2k11

    I think that Welker is forgetting that he bottled it the last two years in the post season. Two dropped catches. One in the Superbowl against the Giants and one against the Ravens in the Championship Game this season. He owes us by agreeing to any deal the Patriots are willing to offer him. Show some loyalty Wes!!!!

  • Mole

    another made-up story, for idiots who who would even read it

  • Boston_Sports

    Pro Players are DIVA’s and “Want Respect” – $$$$$ is seems is the only answer. Just look at Ortiz.

  • Old Time Hockey

    what a shock to find homers on a home town website. get a life troll. no response is needed Bruinman86

  • Jmul930

    I dont buy this story at all

  • http://www.facebook.com/keith.jalbert.18 Keith Jalbert

    I agree. Wes has turned into a short, white Randy Moss

  • Tagme

    they tried to cut him out of the picture, but dont hit me loyd did not work out.

  • Ccrider

    deep wide out needed apply to foxboro place………….

  • dick sherman

    5 years after football this punching bag wont know his name…

  • http://www.facebook.com/curleybob Bob Curley

    Wow — a story based on an unnamed ”source with a passing understanding of Welker’s situation” is just so credible. I might be concerned if this actually came out of Welker’s mouth, but of course it didn’t. 

  • Uncle Buck

    Good points all around.  But if the Patriots’ plan and  intentions were to eventually retain his services and pay him, and they fail to do that because of the way last year unfolded with the tag and failure to negotiate, then in fact that is a blown opportunity.  They always have the upper hand in any negotiation and they had (have) it in this one.

    Not that the Patriots care about this, and it has never affected how they operate,  (like the Red Sox mistakengly do) but if he walks they will take a big PR hit. 

    Who really knows, maybe they never intended to keep him at the salary he is looking for. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/thomas.gagnon.10 Thomas Gagnon

    I love welker i would hate to see him leave,and if he did leave i would follow his career best i could. Everyone is so hooked on Brady taking less for welker, well i’m not sure they would deal that way.but i wouldn’t be surprised if deal was if welker leaves we have enough money for someone better then welk.

  • Schwettballs

    Bad Media HypeCollapse
    I’d rather see the Pats use the cap money they saved on Brady to get a big tough receiver.  The last two years they get to the big games and can’t fight through the tough defenses. I totally agree. The Pats have Hernandez, Edleman, Jeremy Ebert, & I think Woodhead could be a good slot reciever. The pats need outside speed and size like Mike Wallace and they should draft another reciever.

  • luvdatdrtywata

    This article quotes Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports, the people who brought you Chris Chase. It does not quote Wes Welker. Consider your sources before you buy into a story like this one.

  • Rick
  • Rick
  • Rodereau

    Same attitude Vinatieri developed after getting franchised twice and bolting.  Pats won’t overpay.  Sounds like he’s gone. 

  • Molly

    This cutey will leave us and how can we blame him for doing so after the manner in which he has been treated.

  • Tkillay

    We haven’t won a championship since 04-05. Maybe it’s time for a new direction. We have 3 excellent tight ends and Brandon Lloyd going into next season. We have a bevy of running backs. Demps could be a big contributor on offense and special teams. We need Chandler Jones to be who we thought he was. We need to fix the secondary and we need a #1 receiver. We can get a guy for the slot. We created Wes Welker not the other way around.

  • Dano S

    I really think Wes Welker wants to see what he can get on the free agent market and he would not be happy otherwise. So let him do that and move forward with a Danny Amendola and a strong draft and free agent signings.

  • brandonruns

    I’m disappointed about the Welker drops, too. But, he was one the main reasons why the team was even in those big games in the first place (e.g., ask Tom Brady who he thinks is the best player on the team). Not only does he stay healthy unlike the other big targets on the team, he had tied the Super Bowl record for receptions in spite of the big drops. It’s telling how we, as fans and haters, gloss over the fact the other key players made mental errors leading up to Welker’s big drops (e.g., Brady’s intentional grounding safety).  Like anyone else, he’s human, not a God.  Yet, this guy already carries a heavy load, draws a lot of attention from defenses, and still gets this team into the big games.

  • Fab4ever

    I like it when we can see through the “maze”…thanks for watching my back…

  • Fab4ever

    They’re softer than the Pats on D….besides, all this talk about Wes leaving seems to be for naught…they’re reporting now that a long term will be finalized before the 9th…

  • Fab4ever

    Aren’t they shedding some salary? Why the insult? It’s an opinion jerkoff….God help us on these pages…get a life.

  • Bruinman86

    NP.

  • Fab4ever

    Yeah, kinda like the Pats….at some point, our team has to win a 21-17 post season game…if they can re-sign Wes without breaking the bank, great…but I’d like to see a serious effort be put into getting some depth in the defensive backfield and pass rush…

  • Fab4ever

    Looks like all this chatter is moot anyways…I just heard that it appears they are in agreement that a long term deal will be done before the deadline….it’s more about the guaranteed $$ than it is the length….which lines up with how Brady negotiated his deal…his deal gives the Pats the opportunity to re-sign Wes AND to go after some other help…

  • SoxPatsCeltsBruinsFan

    Are these words of Welker’s or Cole’s imagining what Welker is feeling? Reporters always trying to start something.

  • Jim Piersall

    I can’t imagine Wes Welker using a phrase like “somewhat mild disdain”.  I think that this blogger is putting his own interpretation into the story so that someone will pay attention to him.  I hate bloggers.

  • Rick
  • brandonruns

    Welker isn’t the reason why we haven’t won since 04-05. This offense has been rated within the top 2 the past two season (largely due to Welker). Yet, the defense has been ranked at the bottom and has left something to be desired — and I doubt that any of that is Welker’s fault. As far as the other targets: Gronk, Hernandez, and Edelman have all battled injuries the past two years.  And, this offense isn’t going to move with just Lloyd.  Even if you wave goodbye to Welker and if the defensive issues aren’t worked out, the team isn’t going anywhere (and would be lucky to make the AFC Championships with a tough Denver/Baltimore). Yes, we created him but we need him just as much as he needs us.

  • brandonruns

    Yeah, I’m surprised that this is even a story. I mean, couldn’t it have been implied that he wasn’t happy sitting on the bench at the beginning of last season. Sure, he seemed to have taken the high road and didn’t blast the Pats (other than joking about sticking it to “Bill” when he rebounded)… but how would anyone else feel in his shoes, as productive/reliable as he has been in the past.  After all, maybe the benching was a good thing for both sides in that it re-lit the flame (for the season) after the Super Bowl drop. Who knows? But, duhh, why wouldn’t he have had some disdain?!?!?!

  • Bruinman86

    Maybe I’m dreaming here, but I’d love to get him at a 3 year $27 Million dollar deal with say….$14 Million Guaranteed.

  • eli

    get over it home boy…pats are new 1990s buffalo bills …cant win the bg one

  • Bruinman86

    I’m not going to disagree at this point. The proof is in the results. If they fix a few things they could easily remedy that. Question is will they?

  • Anonymous

    Bad media… you’ve got it right… The PATS need to turn the page and build around the three tight ends… mix in the backs and Edelman… and put some big, fast, strong receivers in the mix who will burn teams that try to shut down the PATS possession receivers.

    team needs to dump ww and lloyd… put the $15 M cap savings into other areas…

  • brandonruns

    When have Hernandez, Edelman and Gronk been healthy these past two seasons? Someone here even mentioned using Woodhead to replace Welker. Yet, even Woodhead (I love him just as much as Welker) went down that the beginning of the AFC Championship game. So, sure, just get rid of your only stable/healthy receivers… and just use guys who get injured or bring in new guys that don’t even know the system!  That sounds like a brilliant plan!

  • Anonymous

    True enough but I’m including Ballard in the mix too … You hope that of the there TEs two will survive to playoffs. Pats have made a financial commitment to these players and need to move on. In the past eight seasons they have only two AFC championships to show for it… team needs to revamp and reload.

    Also the team doesn’t have to run from the slot on every play… they can start Ridley in a two back set, then split him out to H-bak or the slot… they can run or pass off of that kind of formation.

    If opponents try to clog the middle on the possession game, a fast and big outside man can burn them in 1 on 1 coverage…

  • Innovator

    Through the Grapevine,I’ve heard that Denver won’t be signing Welker…Actually,if Denver is smart,they’ll be looking at Ryan Swope to run the slot…

  • Innovator

    That’s because Green Bay has been light years ahead of Belichick when it comes to drafting and developing elite and money players for the last several years…..If you hit on receivers in the draft,it means wonders for your organization…There are some really,really good receivers to be had in the second thru fourth rounds this year,and BB better have his head screwed on straight….James Jones was sitting out there until August of 2011,waiting to be taken(I screamed for this guy right on this very message board),but BB decided to go after a non downfield threat in Ocho cinco….How many touchdowns did James Jones have this year?? 14!! BB needs to get his head screwed on straight and stop reaching on guys like Tavon Wilson and Jake Bequette,and start drafting actual talent…

  • Innovator

    Chandler Jones needs some help on the other side…..The answer is not Ninkovich…Ninkovich would be so much more effective using his tools at middle linebacker….He gets stuffed on too many plays to be a hand in the dirt,edge setting pressure pass rusher…Watch the tape….He’s kind of a defensive swiss army knife though,and does have a knack for anticipation in the run game,tackling,and stripping the ball…I will give him credit for that..

  • Innovator

    I agree….However,,if Wes comes back and plays for 7 or 7.5 million,I would be all over that…He’s unbelievably reliable in every way….The key is surrounding him with guys who can get downfield,make plays,and that can run,so Welker can have more space to work with…Technically,,if he had some real help,he could actually put up better numbers than he already is!! Hard to believe,but if you look at scheme,,its absolutely possible…This years draft is the key…

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