Freddie Freeman will forever go down in Los Angeles Dodgers folklore. He is a player who will always be appreciated by the team and their fans. In some quarters, he is nothing short of a hero for the franchise.
As many of you know, Freeman isn’t the biggest name on the team; that title goes to Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese star currently attracting all of the headlines, as many are waiting to see if he can pitch effectively following surgery.
If he does, it will undoubtedly improve the Dodgers’ chances of winning this year’s World Series and going back-to-back. The team is the heavy favorite to do so, with sports bettors already eyeing the team as a top contender, with options like Underdog Fantasy’s offer available to those considering adding their two cents to the upcoming MLB season’s daily fantasy leagues.
Nonetheless, all of the focus shouldn’t be placed on Ohtani, especially as the Dodgers are stacked with talent. They’ve added further this offseason ahead of spring training, but Freeman is one who some may still want to consider as a difference-maker.
Historical Moment That Took the Time To Sink In
Undoubtedly, what he achieved in Game 1 in the 2024 World Series is something that no other player has ever managed and that he will always be able to lay claim to, even if he has admitted it’s taken time to soak in.
In the 6-3 win against the New York Yankees on their way to the World Series title, he became the first to record a walk-off grand slam when his team had been down by one in the 10th inning of the game before he stepped up to the plate.
Since that night, Freeman has admitted that it took several months for the moment to sink in truly. When cited as arguably one of the best nights in Dodgers’ history, it perhaps isn’t surprising that it did.
Speaking about the event, the first baseman revealed that he had been watching the moment replay repeatedly with his young child on YouTube.
“I went down a rabbit hole on YouTube. Just to see the reactions of people watching that game, and what it meant to so many people. I know Yankees fans weren’t too thrilled with it, but just what sports and baseball can do in general for so many people. And to be able to be a part of that for a very long time, I’m sure this home run is going to last for a long time.”
He also admitted that the moment would last forever because of how special it was and would remain with him.
Storm of Emotions
The quote shows that the moment was highly emotional for the Canadian-American, as it came at a difficult time for him and his family. While the walk-off had effectively set the team on its way to their eighth World Series championship and first since 2020, it came at a time when he was going through his battle. Earlier in the year, they had to go through a tough battle with their three-year-old, as Max was fighting to save his life after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome.
When talking about it, he became visibly emotional and revealed how much it had meant to him. In the process, he also mentioned how the hit had simultaneously impacted much of the fan base.
Freeman wants to have many more iconic moments with the franchise, including helping the organization become the first back-to-back World Series champion in fifty years. In the immediate future, he just needs to make sure he is healthy and gets back to his best, with spring training perhaps coming a little too early for him after his injury issues throughout the postseason.
Nonetheless, he is optimistic that he will be ready for the season opener against the Chicago Cubs when the two MLB teams take baseball to an international crowd in Tokyo, Japan, on March 18.
