![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.northwoodsleague.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/07\/Bill_Freehan_1966-226x300.jpg\")
ers – Director of Media & Public Relations<\/p>\r\nBy Mark H. Stowers – Director of Media & Public Relations<\/p>\r\n
Tuesday, July 22nd, will be Bill Freehan Night at Memorial Park when the Royal Oak Leprechauns host the Kalamazoo Growlers in Northwoods League action. Festivities will be held pre-game and during the game, honoring the late baseball legend. Detroit is filled with baseball legends but Royal Oak has one of its own \u2013 Tiger great and UM alum Bill Freehand. Before he became an important cog in the Detroit Tigers\u2019 1968 championship, Freehan was learning the game, polishing his skills and abilities at Royal Oak\u2019s Memorial Park. Born in Detroit and raised in Royal Oak, Freehan got his start as a Little League shortstop, until one day, the team\u2019s catcher didn\u2019t show. Stepping behind the plate, he found his true calling.
His legend began at Memorial Park – #TheLuckyCorner \u2013 home of the Northwoods League\u2019s Royal Oak Leprechauns when as a teenager playing for Enners (sponsored and coached by Jim Enners of Enner\u2019s Grill) in the city\u2019s Joe DiMaggio League, Freehan launched a 402-foot home run at Memorial Park\u2019s Field #3 \u2013 a shot that cleared the outfield, flew over the (since moved) concession stand and according to some, rolled into 13 Mile Road. That swing has become local legend. And now, Royal Oak is making sure the memory lands permanently.<\/p>\r\n
To honor Bill Freehan\u2019s deep connection to Memorial Park and Royal Oak, the city in partnership with the Royal Oak Leprechauns, Northwoods League, the Detroit Tigers and the University of Michigan will be Celebrating Freehan\u2019s Legacy on July 22 \u2013 HONORING A HOMETOWN LEGEND.<\/p>\r\n
We\u2019re inviting members of the Freehan family to a private celebration at Field #3 at 5:00 p.m. A family member is invited to throw out the first pitch at the Royal Oak Leprechauns game at 6:30 p.m. And the number 11, worn by Freehan during his Tigers career, will be displayed on the backstop of Field #3. Royal Oak Sandlot Freehan League 10U players will get free admission to game. In addition, a pavement decal will mark the spot, according to legend, where the historic home run landed \u2013 a tribute to the moment that still echoes through Royal Oak baseball history. The 50\/50 raffle proceeds during the game will go to Hospice of Michigan (HOM.org)<\/p>\r\n
By Mark H. Stowers – Director of Media & Public Relations Tuesday, July 22nd, will be Bill Freehan Night at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133,"featured_media":18430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,24,23,1],"tags":[180,178,177,179,30,42,29],"class_list":["post-18427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-game-day","category-news","category-uncategorized","tag-1968-world-series","tag-bill-freehan","tag-detroit-tigers","tag-hospice-of-michigan","tag-northwoods-league","tag-rosl","tag-royal-oak-leprechauns"],"yoast_head":"\n
Freehan\u2019s Career<\/strong>
After leading the University of Michigan to a 1961 Big Ten Championship and setting conference batting records, he signed with the Detroit Tigers that same year. He debuted in the Majors at 19. Over a 15-year career, he became:
\u2022 An 11-time All-Star
\u2022 A 5-time Gold Glove catcher
\u2022 A cornerstone of the 1968 World Series championship team
\u2022 The Tigers\u2019 All-Time Team catcher (1999)<\/p>\r\n
But to Royal Oak, he\u2019ll always be one of our own.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"