LOS ANGELES — It was Kirk Gibson all over again.
It was Roy Hobbs in “The Natural.’’
It was classic Hollywood.
“It might be,’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “the greatest baseball moment I’ve ever witnessed.’
Freddie Freeman, who could barely walk a week ago with his badly sprained ankle, who left the team this summer and didn’t know if he’d return with his 3-year-old son fighting for his life, stepped to the plate Friday night in front a screaming crowd of 52,394, and produced one of the most dramatic events in World Series history.
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With one swing of the bat, Freeman created a memory that may never be forgotten in Dodgers lore, a two-out, walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, leading the Dodgers to a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series.
Freeman, swinging on the first pitch from Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes, hit a 92-mph fastball that soared high into the right field pavilion, nearly the exact spot that Gibson homered to in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
It was the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history, and the first walk-off World Series homer on a first pitch since Mickey Mantle for the Yankees in Game 3 of the 1964 World Series.
Freeman stood at home plate raised his bat into the air, tossed it aside, and slowly ran around the bases as Dodger Stadium literally shook.
“It felt like, 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. …
“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.
“For it to actually happen, and get a home run and walk it off, that’s as good as it gets right there.’
Only three Dodgers players – relievers Blake Treinen, Daniel Hudson and Ryan Brasier – were even alive for Gibson’s dramatic homer, but oh how they’ve ever seen the highlights over and over.
“No shade at Kirk or anything, but I don’t know him,’ Dodgers All-Star right fielder Mookie Betts said. ‘That was before my time. I’m looking at the Freddie Freeman history.’
The 2024 Dodgers indeed are making their own history and will be able to tell their kids and grandkids about the night.
Dodgers infielder Max Muncy – who has met Gibson a few times – still had trouble coming up with the right words to describe his emotions even though he personally witnessed this one.
“I was actually standing on the top step, and I was holding my bat’’ Muncy said. “I don’t know why I was holding it, there was no way I was going to get up that inning. Then he hit it, and as soon as he hit it, I just launched my bat.
“In that moment, the batter is going to normally tell you if he got it good or not. But with Freddie, you normally don’t get that because Freddie always just puts the bat down and runs.
“But when you look at home plate, and he’d just holding the bat in the air, standing in the box, and hasn’t even taken a step, you went, ‘Oh my gosh!”
When Freeman strolled around the bases, and went through a gauntlet of Dodgers waiting for him at home plate. He stomped on it and kept running, all of the way to the backstop where his father was sitting in the front row.
“It was kind of spur of the moment,’ Freeman said. “I saw him hugging a lot of people back there. … I think he was so nervous going into that. I just wanted to share that with him because he’s been there. He’s been going through a lot in his life too, and just to have a moment like that, I 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.’
Freddie Freeman was the one who stepped away from the team for nearly two weeks this summer when his son, Max, was put on a ventilator battling Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen, but it was so scary,’ Freeman told USA TODAY Sports. “I can’t stress enough how amazing this organization was. They all reached out. It’s almost as if they knew exactly when to reach out. And it was never too much. It was always enough space in the perfect time. That’s what makes this organization so special.’
It was also this trust that enabled the Dodgers and Freeman to devise a plan to enable him to play with his sprained ankle that’s not expected to fully heal for another four to six weeks. He missed two games of the National League Championship Series, including their clinching victory over the New York Mets.
Yet, by winning the NLCS in six games, it provided Freeman another five days of rest. He came to Dodger Stadium every day, received daily treatment for five hours and vowed that he’d be ready for the World Series.
In the first inning, he hit a ball into the left-field corner, it squirted past left fielder Alex Verdugo and before anyone knew it, he was running into third base for a triple.
Roberts’ thoughts?
“Stop!’ Roberts said. “He was already in scoring position. … I was happy he came out of it upright.’
Said Muncy: ‘Freddie was saying before the game that he was going to get the first stolen base and get that Taco Bell thing. And we all told him, if you steal a base, we’re going to walk out on the field and take you off the field ourselves.’
But that’s Freeman. If he’s on the field, he’s playing the game hard, the right way, no matter how much his ankle aches.
“He’s a warrior, he’s a fighter,’ Betts said. “A win is a win, but knowing what Freddie’s gone through, it’s super special. I’m glad it was him that had that moment.’
It was Betts who set it up merely by being intentionally walked. The Dodgers, trailing 3-2 in the 10th, had runners on second and third with two outs and left-hander Nestor Cortes on the mound. Yankees manager Aaron Boone, not wanting to take a chance with Betts, called for Cortes to intentionally walk him to face Freeman.
“It’s kind of pick your poison,’ Freeman said, “that’s what’s so good about our lineup. It’s a tough matchup no matter where you are. Once I saw Aaron give the four [signal], 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.’
He figured Cortes would throw him a first pitch fastball, not daring to fall behind in the count with the bases loaded. Cortes threw it. Freeman pounced.
“So, I just wanted to be on top of it, and be on time for it,’ Freeman said, “and I was.’
Betts turned, watched it fly into the stands, jumped into the air and screamed.
“I wanted to stop and wait on him,’ Betts said, “but I couldn’t. So I just kept on running and screaming.’
And so did the 50,000 fans who stayed until the end, learning their lesson back in 1988, not wanting to miss history.
Three more victories now, and this team will be forever cherished, too, winning their first World Series in a full season since 1988.
That team will always be remembered for the Gibson home run, the swing that changed the series, and the only plate appearance by Gibson the entire series.
The Freeman home run could have the same emotional impact, but the difference is that Freeman will continue to play, and isn’t about to miss a game now.
“He’s given us everything,’ Muncy said, “he’s literally given us his body.’
Just like Gibson, right?
“I don’t know, Freddie was moving pretty good, he had a triple tonight,’ Muncy said, laughing. “So, I don’t know if you can compare that. From everything I heard, Gibson had half a leg basically…
“But what Freddie has done is amazing. There’s been multiple times we’ve had to go to Freddie and say, ‘Hey, you need to sit this one out. Hey, we got you tonight. Be ready for the next game.’ But if you know Freddie, that’s not an easy conversation.’
Now, the way he looked Friday, the Dodgers believe Freeman will be just fine for the rest of the series. He started moving much better two days ago, his teammates said.
“I’m pretty sure he’s still under a lot of pain,’ Dodgers outfielder Enrique Hernandez said, “but not the to the point where that was one game in New York where he couldn’t even swing the bat. That’s why those off-days were huge.
“Now, he’s doing something that’s basically heroic. Freddie’s Freddie, man. Freddie’s a grinder. There’s not too many superstars that grind the way that Freddie does.
“He’s a Hall of Famer and this was a special moment in his career. This is a good sign for things to come for him.’
Freeman, who arrived 6 ½ hours before game time for treatment, plans to do the same again Saturday for Game 2. He doesn’t know how he’ll feel when he wakes up. He doesn’t know if he’ll be in pain. No matter, he’ll be in the lineup.
“Winning a World Series is everything,’’ Freeman said. “I will do everything I can to be out there.’
No one that knows Freeman would expect anything less.
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