Cardinals take another L as World Series hero turns down team Hall of Fame

David Freese lives in the legend of the St. Louis Cardinals and their 2011 World Series, but he wants nothing to do with the team’s Hall of Fame. 

There haven’t been many things that St. Louis Cardinals fans will remember fondly about the 2023 season. Losses have been piling up as a Friday night defeat at the hands of the Mets sent the Redbirds to 16 games below .500 on the season having won just two of their last 10 contests. And now, it’s looking like the team could get reshaped dramatically at the trade deadline.

So why not add another L to the mix?

David Freese is one of the Cardinals fan base’s all-time heroes of the 21st century after his legendary performance in the 2011 World Series that won him MVP honors for the Fall Classic. As such, the organization offered Freese a spot in the team’s Hall of Fame. But Freese doesn’t want it as St. Louis Post-Dispatch Cardinals insider Derrick Goold reported that the franchise hero turned down the invitation.

STL Cardinals: David Freese turns down induction into team’s Hall of Fame

Now, it is worth noting that Freese’s declining of the induction came with a message of respect for the Cardinals legends who came before him and will come after, which you do have to tip your cap to. At the same time, though, it’s still another punch to the stomach for fans in a wholly forgettable season.

Freese only spent the first five seasons of his 11-year MLB career in St. Louis, but his most notable contribution came in the 2011 postseason as he was NLCS and World Series MVP for the Cardinals. In the World Series win over the Rangers, Freese posted a 1.160 OPS with a monster series but, more importantly, played the hero in Game 6 with a game-tying triple in the bottom of the ninth before belting the winning home run in the 11th to force Game 7.

Outside of that moment, though, he was still a great Cardinals player but was also more folk hero than anything else, especially given his brief tenure with the club. So his decision to not want to get into the team’s Hall of Fame is actually an admirable one. With that folk hero status, though, it’s definitely just another thing the fans in St. Louis are being hit over the head with this season.