Freddie Freeman was among the several Los Angeles Dodgers who got off to a slow start this season but made headway through the first two games of their series against the Washington Nationals.
On Friday, Freeman went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run. He followed that with a 2-for-5 day that included two doubles and four RBI. The extra-base hits on Saturday gave Freeman 550 career doubles, moving him into 31st on MLB’s all-time list.
“As I’ve gotten older, I do appreciate what I’ve been able to accomplish,” Freeman said on SportsNet LA. “Hopefully I’ve got a lot more in my future, but 550 is definitely pretty cool.”
Freddie Freeman passes former Braves teammate
In hitting his 550th career double, Freeman broke a tie with Chipper Jones. The two were former Atlanta Braves teammates, and Jones is someone who was instrumental in Freeman going on to have a successful career.
“Yeah, I would say so,” answered Freeman when asked if there was added meaning to overtaking Jones. “I know he’ll tell me he’s still got me in homers. But yeah, Chipper has meant a lot to me. My approach and the inside line of the batter’s box, try to keep my hands through it, he’s the one that told me that.
“He told me to hit the ball through the wall, not over the wall. There’s a lot of things that I took from him when I first came up. He definitely meant a lot to me earlier in my career.”
Jones has 468 career home runs and Freeman is at 369.
In terms of all-time doubles in MLB history, next on the list are Jeff Kent and Eddie Murray tied with 560 in their respective careers. Just ahead of them is Carlos Beltrán, who finished with 565 career doubles.
By season’s end Freeman conceivably could approach the top-20, where Todd Helton is ranked with 592 doubles.
While Jones became a mentor of sorts to Freeman, he also was responsible for ensuring a position change. Freeman was drafted with experience at third base but his outlook there with the Braves was blocked by Jones, a Hall of Famer. Freeman went on to become an MVP and Gold Glove winner at first base for the Braves, and now is looking to extend his career three more seasons with the Dodgers.
Their bond extends beyond the baseball field, as Jones famously rescued Freeman from gridlock because of a snow storm that swept through Atlanta in 2014.
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