Freese ‘at peace’ with life, baseball

David Freese’s extended offseason ended on March 11, in the middle of Spring Training, when he signed a one-year contract with the Pirates. The next morning, he walked into the media room connected to the McKechnie Field clubhouse, wearing a gray T-shirt with green sleeves and a smile he couldn’t erase, and expressed something he repeated earlier this week.

“This winter was good for me,” Freese said. “It was just a great part of my life where I was trying to be more.”

The enduring image of Freese was captured in October 2011, the handsome hero leading his hometown Cardinals to a World Series championship. But look at him now, and you can see the whole picture — personally at peace, passionate and a perfect fit with the Pirates.

“I’m just at peace more than I’ve been, probably ever,” Freese said. “I love this game more than I ever have in my life.

“I wake up every day just enjoying playing this game, and a lot has to do with where I’m at in my life and the people I’m around.”

Winter of content After his World Series heroics, Freese found himself stretched thin in St. Louis. He dealt with the amplified demands of his newfound fame, alcohol-related issues and the loneliness in the middle of it all.

“I got caught up in St. Louis not saying no enough, trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations on the field or off the field. It just became a downward spiral,” Freese said. “I loved my time there. It was really a dream come true. But there were some tough times.”

Within a week in November 2013, Freese moved to a new apartment in downtown St. Louis, brought home a boxer dog named Bob, met the woman who will soon be his wife and got traded from the Cardinals to the Angels.

Leaving St. Louis changed Freese, demanding …

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