MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

October 29, 2021

Freddie Freeman

Truist Park

Atlanta Braves

Pregame 3 Press Conference

Q. Freddie, how did this drive to the stadium feel different than all the other countless ones you've made before?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: This was a good one. I started seeing fans pretty early in my drive walking to the stadium. It's pretty cool. I like the weather because that means we're playing late into October, so that's a good thing.

Q. Freddie, you have been with this team through all the success and heartbreaking times. How do you keep your team from getting caught up in the moment?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I have been here a long time; that means I'm getting old. We've been in the playoffs the last four years, so everyone knows what the feeling is like.

We've got two games under our belt, but the first one at home, you're still going to get those jitters. Game 2, they weren't the same as Game 1. You felt like it was a normal game, but tonight's going to be awesome. The crowd is going to be amazing. A lot of us have a good head on our shoulders, and we know what we need to accomplish to get this thing done.

Q. Freddie, it's become the story of the season, overcoming obstacles, next man up and all that, but when you lose Charlie like that, considering where the pitching staff is, do you feel the same way, somebody will step up?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Yeah, we feel the same. You can't feel sorry about yourselves at this point. It started early on in this season for us. Losing a Game 5 starter is definitely going to be tough, because that's what he would have been.

It's amazing what he did, to be honest with you. I heard he got surgery today and all that. But I think this team has overcome a lot, and we'll do it again.

Q. Freddie, obviously, you're a free agent after this season. Can you envision yourself playing anywhere other than the Braves?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I'm trying to not think about that. Yeah, I did -- I was talking to my agent yesterday actually, and it kind of came up that this is three more games here. I haven't envisioned playing anywhere else because I haven't gotten to that point yet. I've put on this uniform -- since 2007 I got to put on a Braves uniform with the Gulf Coast League team. It's all I've ever known.

But it is a little weird that by next Sunday, Monday, I could be a free agent, which is very, very weird to me. It hasn't hit me because I'm trying to put that off because a little bit more important things at task right now.

Q. Is there something to being a franchise guy that plays one place?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I think everyone in this room knows I want to stay here.

Q. They're doing a little video tribute to Hank Aaron tonight, and of course his presence is kind of always around this club. As somebody who's been with the franchise for so long -- I know this is a big question -- what comes to the mind when you hear the name Hank Aaron?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: When he passed away last off-season, I put out a thing, and it was loved because that man loved every single one of us. Whoever came in contact with him, he made you feel love.

I wish he was here to be able to watch this, especially us playing the Brewers too in the NLDS. I got chills right now thinking about it, and I'm catching the first pitch today, so it's going to be a special night for the Braves and everyone out there because it's going to be a pretty amazing thing that the Braves are doing for Hank today.

Q. Freddie, just the intensity of these games and being on the field and in the moment, has it been kind of what you imagined or anything? Does anything surprise you?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: It's that and more. This is -- you dream of being -- everyone, all of us in the backyard, Game 7, 3-2, down by one, bases loaded, everyone envisions that in the World Series. That's just a kid and a dream, and all of a sudden it becomes a reality that you're playing in the World Series. It's everything you can ask for. It really is.

Win or lose, fail, go 0 for 30 with 30 strikeouts, you're still playing in the World Series, and that's pretty cool. So it's a great feeling. Game 1 was -- I got the jitters finally about when I was running out on the line, but once the game started, it kind of went away. It was just another game.

Tonight I'm going to feel the same way. These fans have been waiting 22 years. So it's going to be fun.

Q. Infield defense and base running is something you guys have done pretty well all season and during the playoffs. Can you tell me about Wash and E.Y. and the job they've done and what it's like being around those guys?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Finally, Wash is getting national recognition. Everyone here in the first couple of rows gets to see us work with Wash every single day. E.Y., when we do our hitters' meetings, it's pretty incredible the little things he picks up on a pitcher.

Usually you look at a leg, the pickup on a leg, but he'll tell us completely something different that a pitcher is doing. He might move his shoulder just a little, and he is right on it. He gives us a different key, it seems like, every single game.

When you have that kind of thing -- .01 seconds is huge in this game, and E.Y. is unbelievable at picking that kind of stuff up, and obviously everyone knows Wash. Wash is great. We've done it all year, and it's showing in the playoffs.

Q. Just curious how many friends and family you have around right now, and is it more, less, or about the same as the amount that came when you expanded your family over the off-season?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: A little bit more flew in for this one. I got my grandpa here. He flew in yesterday. My uncle is here. Pretty much that's about it who doesn't live in Georgia. My oldest brother moved here a couple years ago, so he'll be there.

I've got some more. Hopefully we don't make it there. But if there is a Game 6, there's more going there. Hopefully, we don't make that trip possible.

It's hard. I was trying to leave a little more tickets, but they ran out. So that's a good thing.

Q. I know you grew up in California. You were 10, I think, the last time the Braves made the World Series. Do you remember much about either that or maybe '95/'96? If not, what were some of your standout World Series memories from watching as a kid?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I think everyone knows in this room my 10-year-old year age was not a great year, so I don't think the Braves did very well that year either. I hope we can make a few good memories this time around. 1999 and 2000 was not very fond for me, so I hope we can make some different kind of memories from this time around.

I don't remember much. '95, I was only 6 years old. I grew up an Angels fan. I remember 2002. You had TBS and all that, but I just kind of grew up an Angels fan, so not much.

Q. Freddie, I'm just wondering, with a couple of pitchers out now for you guys, if you as a group offensively felt like you might have to generate some more offense as a series?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: You feel like that every game. You would like to take the pressure off. You would like to be able to have a good lead, one or two runs given up and our starter can still go back out there. That's our intent.

Ian has been great. I think we've won every single game he's pitched in the postseason. We need him to go a little deeper tonight so hopefully we can get some runs and be able to extend that so we can have a little bit looser of a leash for him.

Q. There was a great article that there was an ice cream machine put in midseason. Can you talk about this ice cream machine and how magical it's been just having this in the clubhouse?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: We went to Boston. Everyone knows when you go to Boston there's an ice cream machine there. Seattle had one too. I think they might have had that taken out. We played pretty well in Boston. We started talking maybe we need one of those. It was more for the kids that come into the clubhouse.

Alex did say, if we start winning, I'll get you one in your house. But I ended up saying no, because I see how much maintenance that thing takes to keep it running, and I don't need an ice cream machine in our house.

But it was just a good thing. We have some people that overindulged a few times, which have raised some questions if we should take it out. But once we got it, things started going well.

Q. Do you care to name names on the overindulgence?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I'm not going to name names.

Q. Fair enough. I just want to check.

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I'm not going to put them under the bus.

Q. You talked about Wash. It looks like his former club, Oakland, is going to need a new manager. If they called you and asked you about Wash, the baseball man, but also the person, what would you tell him?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I'd say that man deserves it. That man, I don't want him to leave, but he deserves every opportunity if a managerial job opens up for him. He's an unbelievable leader. He has the enthusiasm. He has the drive to win, to care about. He loves coaching. He loves just bringing young men up and just being the better of themselves.

As much as I want Wash to stay, if someone came calling, he'd be the first on my list.

Q. You mentioned wanting Ian to stretch it out the best he can, but how would you describe your faith in what the bullpen has done and how that gives you so much confidence that, when you get in late-game situations, it almost feels like you guys expect to win every time?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Yeah, we expect -- when that bullpen door opens, we feel very, very confident, no matter who's running out of that pen. What Kyle Wright did, that was pretty cool. I know we were losing at the time, but I went up to him in the dugout and shook his hand and said, you just struck out the side in the World Series. That's pretty cool.

When you've got Matzek, Luke Jackson, Will Smith, you feel pretty comfortable coming out into that game. Hopefully, we can get the lead and get it to them.