MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

November 2, 2021

Freddie Freeman

Minute Maid Park

Atlanta Braves

Postgame 6 Press Conference

Atlanta - 7, Houston - 0

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by world champion Freddie Freeman.

FREDDIE FREEMAN: That's a good sound, isn't it?

Q. When Max Fried came out, we saw on camera, it showed you gave him a big bear hug. Can you tell us what you told him and what that was like?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I just told him that he left that all out there on the mound. That was Max Fried. He had a little chip on his shoulder, I think, after the last couple starts. But what you guys saw tonight was what we saw for months during the season.

An incredible performance when we needed it most.

Q. You believed in this team when they weren't that great. You went through some tough years, and as far as I know, never asked out, always wanted to do it in Atlanta. Why did you believe in the plan, and why was it so important for you to do it here?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: You could tell that when I got brought in after the '14 season, before we were going into '15, the former GM showed me their thought process and all that stuff that was going on, and it made a lot of sense.

I've said it many times, this organization drafted me when I was 17, and then they gave me the opportunity to be in the Big Leagues at 20 years old, and they gave me the starting job the next year. They didn't really owe me anything. I owed everything to them because they gave me the opportunity to live out a childhood dream.

So in my mind, I wanted to do everything I possibly could to help get this team back to winning because I came up when we were winning.

So what this organization has accomplished in six years, we lost 97 games in 2015, and six years later we're world champions. That's extremely hard to do. And what this organization, the front office did to do that, it's special. It's a special group, what we were able to accomplish in such a short time.

Q. Freddie, you waited forever for this. Did it feel every bit as good or maybe even better?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I'm still numb. I don't really have emotions. I'm kind of trying to tell you guys things of how I feel because I don't really feel anything yet. It's going to hit hard soon. I don't know when. Maybe it's when we get to see everybody in Atlanta.

You guys all come down to Spring Training in February so hopeful every single year, and year after year, it never happened. This year it was improbable. In my opinion, we lost the best player in the National League in July. The next day Ian's going for an MRI during the All-Star break.

We hit every pothole, every bump you could possibly hit this year, and somehow the car still made it onto the other side. It's just an incredible group. What Alex did during the trade deadline, we've been the best team since the trade deadline, and we played like it all the way into the postseason. We just got hot, and we just carried it over.

Q. Freddie, what are you going to do with that baseball that you tucked into your pocket?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Yeah, it's hidden somewhere. I think I'm going to give it to Brian. He means so much to this organization. He's put on every hat there is in this organization, and he was given the job in 2016, and we've delivered four division titles, a world championship, and now he has a Manager of the Year too. So it's a pretty good stint so far as Atlanta Braves manager for him.

Q. And you personally, obviously, going all the way back to childhood, you've been through a lot in your life and lost some important people. Do you think about your mom, your grandma at a time like this?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Yeah, my wife actually texted me before the game telling me that my mom would be so proud and that she's so proud and I love you. That was at like 5:00. I didn't really want to think about that at that time because I got a little emotional when I received that text, but it seems like my wife is always right to send text messages and calls and let me know encouragement at the right time because it seems to work every time.

Believe me, I wish I was able to hug my mom on that field today, but I know she's up with my grandma right now jumping up and down.

Q. Freddie, I know you said you're still numb, but I'm just wondering, you got a chance to squeeze the last out, and just what that felt like at that moment?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: It felt real good because, when the ball is hit, you know it's going to the shortstop with the trajectory and all that stuff. I didn't know if Dansby was going to throw to second or not, but when I got to first and turned and he started throwing it to me, I was like, oh, man, I'm going to catch the last out of the World Series. Pretty special.

You guys probably saw the video. I put it immediately in my back pocket because, when we won the NLCS, I jumped up and let the ball fly out. I wasn't going to do it this time. So pretty cool to catch the last out.

Q. How good does it feel to know we'll never be able to ask you about the Atlanta sports narrative?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: That's nice. Understandable why we get those questions, but we killed the narrative in the NLCS, and we get to kill it for a long time. This city has been hungry for a championship for so long. I cannot wait to see the crowds here in the next couple days when we get back home.

I'm just so thankful that we were able to bring them home a championship.

Q. So many of the players from the 1995 World Series team have been watching close, Hank Aaron's family. How much do you appreciate the Braves' legacy after this win?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Everyone that knows me knows how thrilled I am to put on a Braves uniform every single day, since I've been 17 years old. I got to put it on in the Gulf Coast League, and it was Braves. I've been putting on the Braves uniform for a long time.

This organization means so much to me. Losing Hank this past off-season and us playing the Brewers in the first round, it kind of just was setting up for one of those special years. Being able to catch Hank's son's first pitch and all that in the World Series, it's just been a special, special run that we wish Hank and Phil were all here to see this, but I know they're up there watching. They're so thrilled for us.

This organization's been hungry for a championship for a long time, so I'm glad we got it to him.

Q. Freddie, as someone, you had all these people come in that you didn't know personally three months ago. What have you learned about Jorge in the three months he's been there that you didn't know?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: That's the most amazing thing is what the front office does for us. It's not -- you can go and get players, and you can throw him in a clubhouse, and sometimes that piece just don't fit into that puzzle. Alex did background, and he does his homework on certain players and the people they are. They came into our clubhouse, and they fit perfectly.

Wait until you see that smile. It's a beautiful smile. We've known what he can do for so long. I mean, two years ago he's hitting 50 homers. It's actually pretty incredible what he did in the World Series, getting COVID in the NLCS and missing ten days and then coming back and not missing a beat. That's hard to do in this game.

We have so many new faces that just fit perfectly, and that's just a testament to Alex and the group in the front office that they did a wonderful job.