September 12 proved to be a big day for Freddie Freeman as not only did he make big contributions in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ win over the San Diego Padres, it was also his 34th birthday.
Freeman went 4-for-5 with four runs scored, two RBI and a home run in the Dodgers’ 11-2 victory, but he was happier to help the club win a ballgame and expressed his appreciation for Lance Lynn and the MLB debut of Kyle Hurt, who was recalled before the game.
“I don’t really think about the three-, four-, five-hit games,” Freeman said. “I’m just trying to do my job every single day. Just so happened I’ve had a few of them in my career, but just happy. Lance, seven quality innings. Kyle, I don’t know what more you can say after that debut. Just a good day for the Dodgers.”
Despite brushing off personal success, the day still proved to be special for Freeman, who arrived to the clubhouse with balloons at his locker from Jason Heyward and celebrations from his teammates for his birthday.
“When I walked in today and saw all this here, I just kind of let out a laugh,” Freeman said. “I kind of knew who was responsible, my lockermate. It’s just cool. All the guys started saying happy birthday around 10 a.m. when I woke up. It was just nice for everyone to acknowledge it was my birthday.”
In addition to the balloons and messages, Freeman and the clubhouse also had some treats for the occasion. “There’s a whole box of cookies,” he said.
“I’m a big snickerdoodle guy, and our lady that makes the cookies made me a cake as well. So we’ve got a lot of sweets going on in our clubhouse right now.
During the game, “Do The Freddie” by Freddie and the Dreamers played and fans began to join in on the celebratory dance first made popular by Freeman during the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala.
“Yeah, the song, I really don’t know what to make of it,” Freeman said. “Like I was telling Kirsten after the game, the dance, the crowd, the fans, everywhere we’ve been going on the road, we’ve been having fun as a group this year, and I think the fans notice that we’ve been having a lot of fun and they’ve been taking to it.
“I guess that was the right moment for it. It was just fun. A good birthday.”
Freddie Freeman enjoying chants at Dodger Stadium
When Freeman first joined the Dodgers last season, he was greeted in his at-bats by chants of “Freddie! Freddie! Freddie!” and those have continued into this year. Although chants like those tend to wear down over time, the All-Star still appreciates them every time he comes to the plate in a big spot.
“Oh yeah. You’ve got a four-deck stadium, it’s the only one in baseball,” Freeman said. “You’ve got 50,000 people every single night here, and for them to go out of their way to make you feel good when you’re doing your job, means a lot. I do appreciate it.
“It does make you feel good inside and it means you’re doing your job pretty good, so that’s what I’m also happy about.”
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