Freddie Freeman Reacts to Walk-Off Grand Slam, Shares Father’s Impact on Him After Dodgers World Series Win
Freddie Freeman had his Kirk Gibson moment on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Dodgers trailing the Yankees, 3-2, Freeman hit a first-pitch fastball into the right field bleachers, giving the Dodgers a 6-3 win and giving Freeman a moment he’ll never forget.
Read more: Dodgers Walk-off Yankees on Freddie Freeman Grand Slam in World Series Game 1
After the game, Freeman was asked about that moment, and what it felt like running around the bases.
“It felt like nothing, just kind of floating,” Freeman said. “Those are the kind of things, when you’re five years old with your two older brothers and you’re playing wiffle ball in the backyard, those are the scenarios you dream about, two outs, bases loaded in a World Series game.
“For it to actually happen and get a home run and walk it off to give us a 1-0 lead, that’s as good as it gets right there.”
Freeman also spoke about his mindset after Aaron Boone chose to intentionally walk Mookie Betts to face Freeman.
“Once I saw Aaron give the four, I just started going through my plan and my process what I was going to look for and where I was going to look for it. A lot of heaters, that kind of ride,” Freeman said. “So I just wanted to be on top of it and be on time for it. I was looking closer to me so I could leave the cutter and slider alone away. I wanted to be on time for it, and I was.”
Freeman made history by becoming the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in the World Series. He had no idea.
“That’s pretty cool,” Freeman said. “It’s kind of amazing. It’s been a lot these last few months, been a grind, but things have been going so well at home. Max is doing great. Obviously the ankle is the ankle. It’s a sprained ankle. It’s as good as it’s going to get.
“But when you get told you do something like that in this game that’s been around a very long time — I love the history of this game, to be a part of it, it’s special. I’ve been playing this game a long time, and to come up in those moments, you dream about those moments even when you’re 35 and been in the league for 15 years, you want to be a part of those.”
Freeman also had an incredible moment with his father after the game, who was sitting in the front row behind home plate. Freeman described that special moment, one he said was his father’s, not his.
“He’s been throwing me batting practice since I can remember. My swing is because of him. My approach is because of him. I am who I am because of him,” Freeman said.
“It was kind of spur of the moment. I saw him hugging a lot of people back there. So all the batting practice, all the relentless hours we spent together on a baseball field, we still do it in the off-seasons together. He still throws me batting practice.
“I think he was so nervous — if I could talk to him, I bet he couldn’t even — he was so nervous going into that. I just wanted to share that with him because he’s been there. He’s been through a lot in his life too, and just to have a moment like that, I just wanted to be a part of that with him in that moment.
“That’s mostly his moment because if he didn’t throw me batting practice — if he didn’t love the game of baseball, I wouldn’t be here playing this game. So that’s Fred Freeman’s moment right there.”
Freeman has been dealing with a sprained ankle that would have required a four-to-six-week stint on the injured list. However, he’s been gutting it out and plans to do the same for the rest of the series.
“I got here at 10:30 in the morning and started treatment and made it just in time for the hitters meeting. And I will start it all over again tomorrow because winning a World Series is everything. I will do everything I can to be out there.”
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
