Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was named the 2024 World Series MVP on Wednesday night, cementing his place in MLB history in a season that was anything but easy for the slugger.
It was the inevitable outcome when all was said and done, after the Dodgers topped their old rivals in the New York Yankees in five games, but prior to the series it wasn’t even clear if Freeman would make the postseason roster.
Freeman, now 35, suffered an ankle sprain that was as serious as it was sidelined for the team’s final road tripleaving his status a big question mark heading into October.
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Despite being clearly hampered, Freeman was able to overcome the odds to adjust once the games came around, even though the Dodgers suggested he would need between four and six weeks to fully recover, according to MLB reporter Juan Toribio.
He played eight games between the NLDS and NLCS and missed only two games. At one point he was right pulled early after the injury started to flare up. He hit just .219 in 33 at-bats and drove in one run, leading many to wonder if it was wise for him to play with such an apparent injury.
The Dodgers ultimately outlasted their competition to make the Fall Classic and in true shades of 1988 Kirk Gibson, Freeman delivered one of the most iconic moments in Dodger history.
Trailing by one run in the bottom of the 10th inning, LA loaded the bases to make room for their veteran first baseman. Freeman destroyed the first pitch he saw, causing the crowd to panic and the Boys and Blue house with an early lead in the series.
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From that point on, the momentum seemed to be indefinitely in the Dodgers’ favor, especially as Freeman continued to snail at an incredible pace. He followed up Game 1 with a two-run shot in the third inning the next nightthat came in the form of back-to-back bombs with Teoscar Hernández that sent LA to a 2-0 lead.
When the games then landed in the Bronx, Freeman started scoring almost immediately in Game 3, throwing a two-run shot into the Yankee Stadium right field stands in the first inning, in win another Dodgers That gave them an impressive 3-0 lead.
Even in their only loss of the series, Freeman homered againagain in the first inning and another two-run shot to right field, setting an MLB record.
The four-game winning streak in the 2024 World Series, combined with the final two games of the 2021 World Series while he was with the Atlanta Braves, surpassed a record previously set by former Houston Astro George Springer.
Freeman finished the World Series with six hits, four of which were home runs, and tied a World Series record with twelve RBIs – all of which came while he was operating at a much lower level than he would have with his ankle injury.
Robert Gauthier
Moreover, Freeman’s season was far from easy.
Although he performed well on the field, as usual, his world was turned upside down halfway through the season when his youngest son Maximus diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. The autoimmune disease left the 3-year-old temporarily paralyzed and fighting for his own
After playing eight games to spend time with family in the wake of the news, Freeman returned to the team with excellent support from both his teammates and Dodger fans. Pregame shirts with the phrase #MaxStrong were everywhere in the dugout and during warmups, and as soon as he stepped up to the plate, one of the most emotional moments of the season occurred.
It came in the bottom of the first inning in their August 5 game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The pitch clock was stopped and the crowd stood, giving Freeman a standing ovation after what was undoubtedly the most overwhelming period of his life.
“I didn’t expect it, but it was very appreciated by the Dodgers fans. They made it very difficult to hit in that first at-bat, but that’s a good thing,” Freeman said during a postgame interview.
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In the time since, as his son continues to recover and battle the neurological condition, Freeman has played a key role in Los Angeles’ ill-fated run.
“From day one we knew we had a good group of guys,” Freeman said. “The group of guys in this clubhouse became very, very close and we showed that on the field.”
He spoke to Sports Central’s Jim Hill during the wild locker room celebration despite the madness around him.
“I don’t want it to calm down, I don’t want it to calm down at all,” he said. “We’re going to celebrate this for a long time because it’s just hard to do in this game – to win championships…with this group of guys we’re finally going to get a parade for LA.”
