born april american professional baseball baseman pittsburgh_pirates major_league_baseball mlb began mlb career key player postseason batting hits national league championship series set mlb postseason record runs batted rbi earning mvp award world series addition won award naming mvp mlb postseason star high school player declined college baseball scholarship needing break baseball sat freshman year college feeling renewed urge play game transferred junior college played season transferring san_diego_padres selected ninth round mlb draft cardinals acquired season mlb debut opening day injury starting baseman despite suffering injuries minor leagues mlb seasons batted home runs rbi cardinals world series championship season season batted home runs selected mlb star game authored game hitting streak injuries limited effectiveness cardinals traded angels following season played angels seasons signing pirates march early life born corpus texas raised greater louis area missouri grew fan graduated recorded record batting average home runs senior season considered best shortstop state senior high school offered scholarship play college baseball baseball team feeling burned decided quit sport studied computer science missouri member alpha fraternity summer freshman year worked department visited end summer realized missed baseball asked coach roster spot season hit runs batted rbi home runs named second team recommended head coach baseball team opposing teams respected hitting ability scouts told pitchers don let beat junior hit base percentage slugging percentage runs scored games seventh sun belt conference average led school year better hitting runs rbi games won batting title led conference rbi tied ninth division rbi 12th average missed runs scored conference team base named player year named baseman ahead considers best player coached coached professional career minor leagues prior boston_red_sox attempted sign college world series regional playoffs extended season past pre draft signing deadline drafted san_diego_padres ninth round overall draft played eugene class short season fort wayne class midwest league class advanced california league san_diego farm system batted runs rbi games rbi games batted lake games season scored runs drove ranked seventh seventh rbi tied runs team potentially blocking path majors result began practice catcher season traded cardinals jim spent season memphis batted hit home runs recorded rbi led fielding percentage double plays early mlb career emerged potential starter injury likely cardinals starting baseman disabled list beginning season mlb debut opening day season coming bench hitting ahead sacrifice fly cardinals home opener pittsburgh pirates expected team starting baseman quickly passed optioned triple memphis april room newly acquired later surgery repair left ankle injury hampered spring training missed months season activated assigned double late july assigned memphis led memphis division championship recalled september september played games cardinals addition games triple memphis began season cardinals starting baseman suffered right ankle injury june injury required ankle ended season games breakout season projected start season named starter opening day despite suffering minor spring training started year batting missed games hit pitch fractured left hand returning starting lineup finished season batting average home runs rbi recorded hits final regular season games credited improvement power hitting hitting coach helped stroke postseason playoff series drove runs philadelphia game force fifth game milwaukee batting average hit home runs drove runs scored runs named valuable player game world series texas game postseason hitting streak cardinals record short matching time national_league record hitting streak snapped game game world series texas_rangers leading game leading series games came bat ninth men base count ball strikes hit run triple reach tie game send extra innings 11th inning strikes hit game winning lead walk solo home run deep center field feet send world series game joined man traded players cardinals history hit extra inning walk home run postseason joined hall players hit extra inning walk home run team facing postseason elimination game world series hit run double inning bringing postseason rbi total mlb record cardinals went win game series making world series champion time efforts named world series mvp sixth player win world series mvp awards year won award postseason mvp season won joining star roster teammates national_league mlb star game batting average home runs rbi half season injury plagued previous years played career high games finishing season rbis home runs batting average san_francisco_giants hit run home run game point postseason career played games batting doubles home runs rbis slugging percentage plate appearances higher slugging players plate appearances postseason game batting series giants won seven games advanced world series season february cardinals reached agreement year contract avoiding arbitration season arbitration eligible filing requested salary million cardinals counter offered million suffering injury spring training starting season disabled list struggled plate weeks season having rbis mid began game hitting streak longest mlb player point season streak ended june august cardinals promoted play second base intending play base reducing playing time postseason collected hits bats cardinals fell boston_red_sox world series anaheim season season cardinals traded anaheim eligible salary arbitration season filed million salary angels countered million settled million salary slow start ending batting average improved june august batting months hit home run game 24th postseason extra base hit 30th rbi season year arbitration eligible free agency requested million salary season angels filed million sides avoided arbitration agreeing million salary entered season angels everyday baseman hit rbi games broke right index finger hit pitch july went disabled list pittsburgh pirates entered free agency season sign angels chose trade unsigned beginning spring training signed year contract pittsburgh pirates worth million march pirates general manager indicated play base injury join platoon base return personal life father guy civil engineer mother retired teacher sister pam according mother professed lifelong cardinals fan original glove pitching younger years number honor cardinals legend pitcher christian german descent family originally december arrested driving influence missouri suburb breath tests indicated blood alcohol content state legal limit arrested november driving arrest violation probation september arrest resisting arrest charges california crashed tree missouri suburb november local investigators stated crash result avoid hitting wild deer alcohol factor crash june signed year deal endorse serve spokesman pizza chain headquartered area financial terms deal announced contract donate area charity offseason lives
David Freese