David Freese declines induction into the St. Louis Cardinals’ Hall of Fame

ST. LOUIS (AP) — David Freese has decided to decline his induction into the St. Louis Cardinals’ Hall of Fame. The former third baseman was a postseason hero for his hometown team in helping the Cardinals win the 2011 World Series. He was chosen for the Hall of Fame by fans, garnering the most votes in online balloting for this year’s class. But in a statement Saturday, the Cardinals said Freese recently informed them he wanted to withdraw his candidacy. That leaves José Oquendo and Max Lanier to be enshrined during ceremonies on Aug. 20. Freese was the MVP of the 2011 World Series and NL Championship Series. He batted .397 with five home runs and 21 RBIs in 18 postseason games that year.