As Kyle Freeland morphed into a Rockies’ ace pitcher over the past two years, he also has made it a point to build a local legacy off of it.
Another indication of that came Monday morning at Thomas Jefferson High School when Freeland had his No. 21 jersey retired in front of a packed, all-school assembly in the Spartans’ gym.
“It’s incredible and it’s humbling,” Freeland said of the honor. “This early in my career, only three years in with the big-league club, I didn’t expect it. For a lot of athletes, I feel like that’s kind of quick.”
Freeland joins football players Daniel Graham and Derrick Martin, both of whom went on to play in the NFL, as the only former Thomas Jefferson athletes with their number hanging in the gym. The 25-year-old had a historic 2018 season, setting Rockies records for home and overall ERA while finishing fourth in the voting for the National League Cy Young Award.
While at Thomas Jefferson from 2007-11, Freeland set a state record with 145 strikeouts his senior season and posted a 1.39 ERA that spring. He was also a talented golfer, qualifying for the state tournament three times.
“When you look back through the years, you can still see the traits that you see when you see him pitching for the Rockies,” golf coach Stacey Fornstrom said during the assembly. “He’s always ready, he never gives up and he’s just tough.”
Monday’s student reception for Freeland — who has focused his philanthropy efforts on Denver Public Schools, such as hosting a backpack giveaway at Holm Elementary last August — was resounding. There were shouts of ‘Oh yeah, Kyle!’ and ‘You a boss!’ as Freeland took to the podium to say a few words; he was then sent off with a standing ovation at the end of the assembly.
“It felt like I was at ,” Freeland said, smiling.
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