Kirk Gibson Said He Predicted Freddie Freeman’s Walk-Off World Series Grand Slam for Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have had so many memorable moments over the life of the illustrious franchise, but this past October had one in particular that will live forever.
Freddie Freeman made one of the biggest swings in baseball history during a walk-off grand slam to end Game 1 of the World Series, and in doing so, created an eternal moment that will live in the minds of baseball fans for generations.
One of the only people on the planet who could relate to what was going through Freeman’s head, Kirk Gibson, went as far as predicting that this first-ever MLB feat — a walk-off Grand Slam in the Fall Classic — would be Freeman’s destiny right before it happened.
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“I just felt it happening before it happened,” Gibson said to Jack Harris of The LA Times. “The thought entered my mind — much the same way it entered my mind when I was gonna have the opportunity. It’s just like, the perfect storm just keeps developing.”
In Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, Gibson, the National League MVP that year, was out of the lineup.
In his first season with the Dodgers, after the previous nine were spent with the Detroit Tigers, Gibson put up a team-leading 25 home runs, .860 OPS, and WAR of 6.5.
His bad left hamstring and swollen right knee were more than enough reason for him to sit out the game, but after later revealing he was keeping track of the game on TV while undergoing physical therapy on his legs, he let legendary manager Tommy Lasorda know that he was available to pinch hit and started taking swings in a clubhouse batting cage.
With one on, two out, and a full count in the World Series, Gibson smacked a ball deep into right field and into the memories of Dodgers fans forever. A lasting image of him limping around the bases and pumping his fist forever made him a part of baseball lore.
That would be his one and only plate appearance in the 1988 Fall Classic as the Dodgers went on to win the World Series in five games over the Oakland Athletics.
Ironically enough, the Dodgers turned to another hobbled hero 36 years later. And the rest, as they say, is history.
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Photo Credit: Photo by USA TODAY Sports
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