Freddie Freeman made MLB history after going 1-for-3 with his 20th stolen base of the season in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 8-3 win over the Detroit Tigers.
Freeman became just the 16th first baseman to join the 20-20 club (20 home runs, 20 stolen bases), the first since Ian Desmond in 2018 and the first in Dodgers franchise history. “This is one thing I never thought I’d do in my career,” Freeman began.
“A lot of credit has to go to Clayton McCullough. So much work goes in before games of picking up patterns of pitchers, situations of when to go and not to go. So I have to give a lot of credit to him. I didn’t think that would ever happen in my career, so that’s pretty cool.”
Freeman’s 20 stolen bases are the second-most by a Dodgers first baseman, behind only Jackie Robinson’s 29 during the 1947 season. “First basemen usually aren’t the speed demons,” Freeman noted. “Like my dad just text, ‘Fast enough.’ The Freemans aren’t known to be very fast. I just try to pick the right situations and stuff like that.
“I value 90 feet a lot in this game, and it worked out with J.D. getting a two-out hit for another insurance run. I try to pick the right situations and I do keep myself in OK shape to run OK. Hopefully I can keep doing this for a little bit.”
Freeman also became the fourth player in MLB history to record at least 25 home runs, 50 doubles and 20 stolen bases in one season, and the first since Grady Sizemore in 2006. Alfonso Soriano (2002) and Chuck Klein (1932) are the only other players to have such a season.
With four more hits, Freeman will become the only first baseman in MLB history to accumulate at least 200 hits, 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in one season.
Freddie Freeman: difficult to set new career high in stolen bases
Freeman has said one goal is to set a new career high in stolen bases each season, but admitted it will be difficult to continue doing so moving forward. “Very hard. I don’t know,” he said.
“I was always low enough to do this, but I’m starting to push it a little too high. Maybe we’ll just stick around 20.”
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