Freddie Freeman had his Kirk Gibson second on Friday night time at Dodger Stadium.
With the bases loaded and two outs within the backside of the tenth inning and the Dodgers trailing the Yankees, 3-2, Freeman hit a first-pitch fastball into the suitable discipline bleachers, giving the Dodgers a 6-3 win and giving Freeman a second he’ll always remember.
Learn extra: Dodgers Stroll-off Yankees on Freddie Freeman Grand Slam in World Collection Sport 1
After the sport, Freeman was requested about that second, and what it felt like working across the bases.
“It felt like nothing, simply type of floating,” Freeman stated. “These are the type of issues, if you’re 5 years outdated together with your two older brothers and also you’re taking part in wiffle ball within the yard, these are the situations you dream about, two outs, bases loaded in a World Collection sport.
“For it to truly occur and get a house run and stroll it off to present us a 1-0 lead, that’s nearly as good because it will get proper there.”
Freeman additionally spoke about his mindset after Aaron Boone selected to deliberately stroll Mookie Betts to face Freeman.
“As soon as I noticed Aaron give the 4, I simply began going by my plan and my course of what I used to be going to search for and the place I used to be going to search for it. A variety of heaters, that type of experience,” Freeman stated. “So I simply needed to be on prime of it and be on time for it. I used to be wanting nearer to me so I may go away the cutter and slider alone away. I needed to be on time for it, and I used to be.”
Freeman made historical past by changing into the primary participant in MLB historical past to hit a walk-off grand slam within the World Collection. He had no concept.
“That’s fairly cool,” Freeman stated. “It’s type of superb. It’s been quite a bit these previous few months, been a grind, however issues have been going so nicely at house. Max is doing nice. Clearly the ankle is the ankle. It’s a sprained ankle. It’s nearly as good because it’s going to get.
“However if you get informed you do one thing like that on this sport that’s been round a really very long time — I like the historical past of this sport, to be part of it, it’s particular. I’ve been taking part in this sport a very long time, and to return up in these moments, you dream about these moments even if you’re 35 and been within the league for 15 years, you need to be part of these.”
Freeman additionally had an unimaginable second together with his father after the sport, who was sitting within the entrance row behind house plate. Freeman described that particular second, one he stated was his father’s, not his.
“He’s been throwing me batting apply since I can bear in mind. My swing is due to him. My method is due to him. I’m who I’m due to him,” Freeman stated.
“It was type of spur of the second. I noticed him hugging lots of people again there. So all of the batting apply, all of the relentless hours we spent collectively on a baseball discipline, we nonetheless do it within the off-seasons collectively. He nonetheless throws me batting apply.
“I believe he was so nervous — if I may discuss to him, I wager he couldn’t even — he was so nervous going into that. I simply needed to share that with him as a result of he’s been there. He’s been by quite a bit in his life too, and simply to have a second like that, I simply needed to be part of that with him in that second.
“That’s principally his second as a result of if he didn’t throw me batting apply — if he didn’t love the sport of baseball, I wouldn’t be right here taking part in this sport. In order that’s Fred Freeman’s second proper there.”
Freeman has been coping with a sprained ankle that will have required a four-to-six-week stint on the injured checklist. Nonetheless, he’s been gutting it out and plans to do the identical for the remainder of the collection.
“I bought right here at 10:30 within the morning and began remedy and made it simply in time for the hitters assembly. And I’ll begin it another time tomorrow as a result of profitable a World Collection is every little thing. I’ll do every little thing I can to be on the market.”
Photograph Credit score: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Photos
