ST. LOUIS – David Freese had given up on baseball. His passion for the game had vanished, and not even a scholarship offer from Missouri could lure him back to the field.
“I was burnt out,” Freese recalled. “I lost the love.”
Freese was content to live the life of a college student, rebuffing the Missouri coaches every time they called to see if he’d changed his mind. It wasn’t until about a year out of high school that the itch to play finally came back, and it grew to the point where scratching it no longer worked.
Freese gave in and enrolled at Meramec Community College, and his play there caught the attention of the coaching staff at South Alabama. The fifth-year senior eventually blossomed into the San Diego Padres’ ninth-round selection in the 2006 draft.
Fast forward through a trade to the Cardinals and couple years of growth, and Freese is at third base heading into Game 1 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.
“It’s completely surreal. It’s exciting,” said Freese, who grew up in the St. Louis suburb of Wildwood, Mo. “It’s flattering hearing and seeing all the excitement from my family, all the Cardinals nation. I
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