When Mike Freeman addresses his family friends at the steps of the National Baseball Hall of Fame some 20 years from now, he’ll point to July 17, 2019 as the turning point for his career that landed him in Cooperstown.
“Oh, but what about that time you had two hits against the Red Sox? Or the time you ended world hunger?” reporters will ask. He will quiet them, as he’s oft required to do with his uproarious fans. But this time will be different. For now, he can smile knowing he helped his favorite team, the Cleveland Indians, beat the Detroit Tigers and get within four games of the AL Central lead.