Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman knows very well that the experience of playing first base in MLB is unique because of the ease players can have a conversation with members of the opposing team during the game.
A 16-year veteran of the game, Freeman has had countless conversations while on defense and as a baserunner.
Despite the many conversations, Freeman’s experiences with former Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto stand out. During an appearance on “The 6-1-1 Podcast” with Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard, Freeman recounted what made Votto such an interesting conversation partner:
“It’s hard to go with best because you have different ones. Nowadays, when you get to first and you’ve got Pete Alonso at first base, he talks about wine and restaurants in New York, and stuff like that. He’s a big foodie guy, so that’s kind of a fun conversation. Obviously, when Rizzo was there, you kind of just chop it up and have fun with him.
“I think we would all kind of agree Joey Votto. I wouldn’t say strangest, but say you got on three times, it is completely different conversations in those three times you get to first base. And it just off the wall. It can be crazy conversations. I would say Joey, for me, is the one where you have no idea where it’s going to go at first base. I think everybody who came across Joey would say the same thing. It’s all in fun, but you just didn’t know where he was going to go.”
Freeman described one of the most memorable interactions he had with Votto during his second full season in the Majors:
“He asked me about my approach, and I’m like two years into the league. In 2012, he’s asking me how I hit and do all that. I’m like, ‘Hey man, you won an MVP two yars ago. Why are you asking me how to hit? I’m just trying to stay afloat right now.’”
The 2012 season was the worst of Freeman’s career after he put together a solid rookie season in 2011. Despite the limited amount of experience and poor results in 2012, Votto saw something special in Freeman and was ultimately proven right.
Freddie Freeman’s special experience playing World Series in Canada
The 2025 World Series marked Freeman’s third championship overall and his second with the Dodgers, but it was the circumstances under which he won it that made the experience all the more memorable.
Freeman was born and raised in Southern California but has Canadian roots through his mother and father. As a result, he feels a close relationship to Canada and has twice played for the country in the World Baseball Classic as a way of honoring his parents, and in particular his late mother.
It’s for this particular reason that Freeman enjoyed playing against the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series.
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