Freddie Freeman expressed his gratitude to his father for teaching him how to swing a bat. He also thanked the fans for their warm welcome back to Dodger Stadium in August, following a brief absence to be with his son in the hospital.
After hitting a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, helping the Dodgers clinch a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series, Freeman was met with cheers and chants of “Fred-die, Fred-die,” as fans celebrated a historic moment.
Having dealt with significant pain from a sprained right ankle for nearly a month, Freeman described his experience rounding the bases as “floating.” “That felt like nothing, just kind of floating,” he shared, reflecting on his euphoric trot.
Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Freeman had previously missed two games in the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, as manager Dave Roberts chose to rest him. The sprain occurred on September 26 during a game against the San Diego Padres, where he was told it could take 4 to 6 weeks for recovery.
Surprisingly, just ten days later, he found himself back in the lineup for Game 1 of the NL Division Series after a four-day break from the Mets series. “My ankle was in a good spot about three days ago,” Freeman noted, crediting his hard work during recovery.
Freddie Freeman was reminded of Kirk Gibson’s home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series here. He interrupted the question.
“I played the whole game, though.”
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) October 26, 2024
With some guidance from Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc, Freeman adopted a new technique that helped him regain his power hitting before the World Series. After a few days of batting practice, he finally found his rhythm. “I was hitting line drives to shortstop every time,” he laughed.
By game day, Freeman noticed a significant reduction in the swelling in his ankle. He arrived at Dodger Stadium about seven hours early for treatment, which set the stage for his unforgettable moment that night.
Freeman on the intentional walk that brought him to the plate: “We’ve been seeing it all year. They’ve been walking Shohei to get to Mookie, walking Mookie to get to me. That’s what’s good about our lineup.”
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) October 26, 2024
With his grand slam, Freeman made history as no player had ever ended a World Series game with such a feat in his team’s final at-bat. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called it one of the greatest baseball moments he’d witnessed, and the celebration that followed was a testament to the extraordinary nature of the accomplishment.