Major League Baseball Player. For eight seasons (2001, 2003 to 2009), he played at the outfielder, third-base and second-base positions with the Toronto Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals. Born Ryan Paul Freel, he attended Sandalwood High School in Florida, Lincoln Memorial University in Texas and Tallahassee Community College in Florida, prior to being selected by the Toronto Blue Jays during the 10th-round of the 1995 Amateur Draft. He marked his Major League debut with Toronto on April 4th, 2001 and appeared in 9 games that year. After spending the 2002 season in the Minor Leagues, Freel signed as a free agent with Cincinnati and produced his best body of work while a Red. In 2004, he secured the starting third-baseman spot and yielded a career-high 140 hits. However, it would be his quickness on the base paths for which may perhaps have been his greatest asset. In three consecutive seasons (2004 to 2006), he topped the 30 mark for stolen bases. In 594 games, he compiled 532 hits with a .268 lifetime batting average. He continued his career in the sport, when he moved onto the Atlantic League in 2010. Freel died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 36.
Major League Baseball Player. For eight seasons (2001, 2003 to 2009), he played at the outfielder, third-base and second-base positions with the Toronto Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals. Born Ryan Paul Freel, he attended Sandalwood High School in Florida, Lincoln Memorial University in Texas and Tallahassee Community College in Florida, prior to being selected by the Toronto Blue Jays during the 10th-round of the 1995 Amateur Draft. He marked his Major League debut with Toronto on April 4th, 2001 and appeared in 9 games that year. After spending the 2002 season in the Minor Leagues, Freel signed as a free agent with Cincinnati and produced his best body of work while a Red. In 2004, he secured the starting third-baseman spot and yielded a career-high 140 hits. However, it would be his quickness on the base paths for which may perhaps have been his greatest asset. In three consecutive seasons (2004 to 2006), he topped the 30 mark for stolen bases. In 594 games, he compiled 532 hits with a .268 lifetime batting average. He continued his career in the sport, when he moved onto the Atlantic League in 2010. Freel died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 36.
Bio by: C.S.
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