World Series News: Freddie Freeman Praises Fans, Family After Historic Grand Slam

Freddie Freeman thanked his father for teaching him his swing.

He thanked fans for welcoming him to Dodger Stadium in August, when he missed eight games. being with your 3 year old son in a hospital.

And as he spoke to reporters inside Dodger Stadium following his walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning of the Dodgers’ 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, fans They thanked him. Chants of “Fred-die, Fred-die” echoed inside Chavez Ravine, and the sold-out crowd knew they had just witnessed history.

After spending nearly a month trying to play with a severely sprained right ankle, Freeman was floating.

“It felt like nothing, just floating,” he said of his jog around the bases to end the game. “That’s the best there is.”

Freeman did not play in Games 4 and 6 of the Dodgers’ National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, as manager Dave Roberts opted to rest the All-Star first baseman.

The 35-year-old veteran sprained his ankle in a Sept. 26 game against the San Diego Padres while running around first base. Unbeknownst to fans, Freeman was told at the time of the injury that he would need 4 to 6 weeks to recover.

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Ten days later, Freeman was in the Dodgers’ starting lineup for Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

The Dodgers had a four-day reprieve after eliminating the Mets, and Freeman used his time wisely.

“I feel like my ankle was in a good position about three days ago,” he said, “and I’ve been able to work really hard over the course of the week.”

Freeman said he found a sign in Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc — “thinking about going out, but not actually going out” — that allowed him to break through and find his power hit during the timeout before Game 1. of the World Series.

“I started hitting in the field three days ago and every time it was a line drive to shortstop,” he said.

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On Wednesday, Freeman said the swelling in his right ankle had gone down to its lowest level since he originally suffered the injury.

Freeman arrived at Dodger Stadium about seven hours before the game to begin treatment on the ankle Friday. His night ended when Yankees left-hander Néstor Cortés Jr. walked Mookie Betts, a right-handed hitter, to set Freeman up for the historic blast.

No player had ever before ended a World Series game with a grand slam in his team’s final at-bat.

“It’s possibly one of the greatest moments of baseball I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve witnessed some great ones,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Once they decided to walk Mookie, I felt good about Freddie at the plate. That swing, you knew it was gone. You don’t see teams celebrate an outing after a game like that, but it was certainly justified.

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