"Every so often the price of fame comes knocking at the front door of Guy and Lynn Freese's Wildwood home.

Typically polite but sometimes insistent, strangers will ask the couple if they can speak to their son, the postseason hero.

"I usually tell them David used to live here but it's been awhile," says Guy.

A supernova October transformed David Freese — Guy's son, a Lafayette High alum and the Cardinals' starting third baseman — from a local flavor into a national draw. Freese stepped into last October fighting fatigue and a slump that caused manager Tony La Russa to consider a time-share at third base. He left the month the headliner in the team's wild World Series parade and a guest on Leno and Ellen.

"It's surreal," Guy says. "It's kind of like there's David our son and David MVP of the World Series. You take a minute to draw the connection. But he's the same David."

Guided by his representation at Creative Arts Agency's sports division, Freese has navigated more than two months of celebrity, endorsements and public appearances. He was feted at a Missouri football game and walked on ice along with Chris Carpenter, Tony La Russa and Carpenter's son Sam prior to a Blues game.

Freese has handed Nelly a personalized jersey and sat on Lafayette's bench during a recent basketball win over Mehlville. (Every Lafayette player wore a black T-shirt bearing No. 11, Freese's number when he played for the school.) He will be among the honorees at Sunday night's Baseball Writers of America dinner at the Millennium and then travel to New York, where he will receive the Babe Ruth Award in recognition of his breakout postseason."