The Dodgers cut him that spring and offered him a coaching job, The Daily News wrote. Freilling declined
"I appreciated that, but I still wanted to play," Freiling told The Daily News.
Freiling soon caught on with the Mets and played the year at AA Jackson. He returned to the field the next year and briefly saw AAA. But that's as far as Freiling got as a player.
He then started his coaching career. Frieling has gone on to be a coach and a scout. Among the players he coached in the minors was a young Jose Reyes.
Freiling's career in baseball began in 1987, taken by the Dodgers in the eighth round of the draft out of the University of North Carolina.
Freiling started with the Dodgers at single-A Vero Beach and rookie Great Falls. He hit .264 in 59 games. He then returned to Vero Beach for 61 more games in 1988, where he hit .243.
He arrived with the Mets at Jackson for 1989. He hit .277 in 115 games. He then ended his career in 1990 at Jackson and AAA Tidewater. He played 13 games at Tidewater and hit .167.
Freiling then immediately went into coaching. He served as a coach at single-A Columbia for 1991, then short-season Pittsfield in 1992. He moved to manager at Pittsfield in 1993.
He went on to serve as coach at AAA Norfolk for 2000, then spent that September in Flushing. He declined a spot at the World Series in favor of being with his pregnant wife.
Freiling managed at AA Binghamton for 2001 and 2002. He coached Reyes there in 2002.
"I think he's the real deal," Freiling told The Middletown Press in July 2002. "There really isn't anything he can't do. It's just a question of being consistent, gaining more experience and letting him grow up a little bit."
Freiling soon turned Mets scout, then joined the Phillies as scout in 2008. He continued with the Philies in 2015.
- Philadelphia Daily News, July 11, 1989: Freiling's career has taken a turn for the better
- Middletown Press, July 2, 2002: Reyes' HR powers B-Mets
Players/Coaches Featured:3,142
Made the Majors:1,140-36.3%
Never Made Majors:2,002-63.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 473
10+ Seasons in the Minors:282
I met Howie, I guess he was 12 or 13, when I worked for the City of Phila Recreation Dept at Jardel Rec and Howie would come up to shot hoops. Found out he played baseball and put him on the 16-18 team softball team that I helped coach. I still remember the time in a crucial game we were behind a couple of runs with the bases loaded, Howie came to bat and called a timeout to walk up to 3rd base to tell me he wanted me to ok him hitting to left field ! I musta looked at him like I had 2 heads and just said" Howie, I don't care where it goes just get a hit" , LOL, the rest is history ! Howie was one of my all time favorite kids at Jardel and I was very excited when to got drafted by the Dodgers ! Still have the baseball cards he got signed for me ! I hope he sees this and sends me a note ! Best Wishes , Bill Seybold
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