Ryan Freel’s dad has a special request for Reds fans

Freel, who died in 2012, played six seasons with the Reds

Credit: Andy Lyons

Credit: Andy Lyons

Patrick Freel, the father of late Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Ryan Freel, is asking fans to send baseball cards featuring his son so he can display them in binders and give the collection to Freel’s three daughters.

» LOOKING BACK: Hal McCoy on Ryan Freel

Matthew Christian, a card collector in Montana, posted a message on Facebook about Freel’s father’s request. Christian asked fans to send the cards to him at 3737 Corwin St., Bozeman, MT, 59718.

Freel hit .272 in six seasons with the Reds (2003-08). He was a fan favorite because of his hustle.

"People compare the way I play to the way Pete Rose played, and he was a big deal here," Freel said in 2006. "They like that style of baseball. It doesn't take talent and you don't have to be a superstar to play the game hard. It's all about your heart, where your heart is."

Freel committed suicide in 2012, and after his death, his family announced his brain showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease.

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