Buck Freeman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Buck Freeman |
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: October 30, 1871 Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Died: June 25, 1949 (aged 77) Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 27, 1891, for the Washington Statesmen | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 20, 1907, for the Boston Americans | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .293 | ||
| Home runs | 82 | ||
| Runs batted in | 713 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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John Frank "Buck" Freeman (born October 30, 1871 – died June 25, 1949) was a famous American baseball player. He played as a right fielder in Major League Baseball around the year 1900. Buck was known for hitting the ball very far. He was one of the best sluggers of his time. His most famous achievement was hitting 25 home runs in the 1899 season.
Buck Freeman's Baseball Journey
Buck Freeman was born in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. When he was young, he was a talented pitcher. He even got advice from an early African-American player named Bud Fowler. Bud told him to practice hitting the ball more.
Starting with the Washington Statesmen
Buck began his big league career as a pitcher. He played for the Washington Statesmen in 1891. His first game was on June 27, 1891. He pitched well, but his team lost that game. He played in four more games that season. Buck finished with a record of 3 wins and 2 losses.
Time in the Minor Leagues
After 1891, Buck didn't play in the major leagues for seven years. From 1892 to 1898, he played for different minor league teams. He played in leagues like the Pennsylvania State League and the Eastern League. His longest time was with the Toronto team.
Becoming a Star with the Washington Senators
Buck came back to the Washington team in 1898. The team was now called the Senators. They played in the National League. During his time in the minor leagues, Buck had gotten stronger. He also became a much better hitter. The Senators decided to make him a right fielder. They thought his hitting skills would be very helpful.
In 1898, he played 29 games and hit very well. He had a batting average of .364. This meant he got a hit almost 36% of the time. Because he hit so well, he became the main right fielder for the next season.
Buck's Amazing 1899 Season
In 1899, Buck Freeman hit 25 home runs for the Senators. This was truly amazing for that time! The player with the second-highest home run total that year only had 12. Buck's record was not broken until 1919. That's when Babe Ruth hit 29 home runs.
After the 1899 season, Buck's contract was sold to a team in Boston. The Washington Senators team was then closed down.
Playing for the Boston Beaneaters
In 1900, Buck played for the Boston Beaneaters. This team later became the Boston Braves. He didn't get along well with the manager there. His hitting numbers were not as good as the year before. He hit 6 home runs and had 65 runs batted in (RBI).
Joining the Boston Americans
For the 1901 season, Buck moved to a new team in Boston. This team was the Boston Americans, which later became the Boston Red Sox. This was the first season for the American League. The Americans tried Buck as a first baseman. He started hitting well again. He was second in the league for home runs (12) and RBIs (114).
World Series Champion
In 1902, Buck went back to playing right field. This was his best position. He led the American League with 121 RBIs. In 1903, he helped Boston win the first-ever World Series. He led the league in both home runs (13) and RBIs (104). This made him the first player to lead both the National League and American League in home runs!
On June 21, 1903, Buck achieved something special. He hit for the cycle. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game. He was the first player for the Americans/Red Sox to do this. The 1903 World Series was the only time Buck played in the postseason. Boston won the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
After the championship, Buck's hitting numbers started to go down. In 1906, he hit only one home run. He played a few games in 1907. Then, his contract was sold to a minor league team. This ended his major league career.
Finishing His Career
Buck continued to play baseball in the minor leagues. In 1907, he played for the Minneapolis Millers. He had a great season, hitting 18 home runs. He played for a few more years in different minor leagues. He finally stopped playing professionally in 1912 at age 40. He even managed the Scranton Miners for a short time.
Buck Freeman's Legacy
Buck Freeman played in the major leagues for 11 seasons. He had a career batting average of .293. This means he got a hit almost 30% of the time. He hit 82 home runs and had 713 RBIs. He also had 199 doubles and 131 triples.
Buck Freeman passed away at age 77 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In May 2018, he was honored by being inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
Images for kids
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Team picture of the 1901 Boston Americans; Freeman is at center of the back row
