MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

November 2, 2021

Jorge Soler

Dansby Swanson

Minute Maid Park

Atlanta Braves

Postgame 6 Press Conference

Atlanta - 7, Houston - 0

Q. Dansby, five years ago on the backfield at Disney World, it's you and Ozzie and Ronald and all these guys, '19, '20, '21, did you envision five years later you'd all be here?

DANSBY SWANSON: Absolutely. That's when the vision in this organization, obviously for a long time, but definitely for us. There's been so many guys that have put in so much work over the years to make this moment possible. We've been grinding away at it for a long time. It's such a special moment.

Q. How special is it that you guys all did it together coming up through rural Mississippi?

DANSBY SWANSON: I feel like that's kind of the one thing that really sets us apart is how organically it's been created, the love and compassion for one another and the friendships. Those are all real. There's nothing that we do that's for cameras. Even if we give each other a hard time about it, we really do things for each other. So it's very real.

Q. Jorge, what does it mean to win the World Series and be the Most Valuable Player?

JORGE SOLER: It means a lot to me, to my family, to the organization, and it's something really special.

Q. Dansby, this is your hometown team. We know how much you love Georgia and Atlanta. Can you just put into words just what it means to you to now be part of the Atlanta history?

DANSBY SWANSON: I wish I could. I'm a little numb. Me and Franco have been enduring through the Falcons for a few years now. It truly is so special. Atlanta is such a unique place. It's had a grasp on me ever since I was a little kid. To be able to share that moment with the city of Atlanta is amazing.

The one quick story is I was here in Houston when the Super Bowl happened, and it just kind of feels like no better story could be written than God making us come back here and winning the World Series in Houston. So everything comes full circle.

Q. Jorge, can you describe what this season has been like for you after getting off to some struggles early on and then really starting to catch fire in July and then getting traded in July and then ending up where you are now? Can you just describe how that's gone?

JORGE SOLER: Yeah, obviously, like you mentioned, I got off to a rough start at the beginning of the season, and I felt like I started to heat up a little bit before the trade deadline.

I was traded over here, and it was challenging at first. I felt a little out of my comfort zone. I didn't really know people. It was kind of tough to go to a new place and start making those acquaintances and everything.

Within a week, I felt right at home. Everyone in that clubhouse welcomed me in, and it felt instantly, after a little while, just like a family.

It's top to bottom, from the entire organization since I joined, I always felt extremely welcome here.

Q. Jorge, as Garcia went 3-2 on you and then go through slider, fastball, cutter, what was going through your mind during the sequence?

JORGE SOLER: Yeah, I just kept battling it out, I'd seen his stuff or whatever, so I was sitting on the off-speed, and I was thinking to myself, if he throws me an off-speed pitch, I can connect and drive the ball. If he throws me a fastball, I'm just going to try to stay alive during this at-bat.

I got to 3-2, and I didn't want the same thing to happen on the first inning at-bat where I struck out on the off-speed pitch. So I was just kind of getting prepared for that.

Q. Did you see the ball leave the ballpark over the train tracks?

JORGE SOLER: I knew I hit it well, but to be honest, immediately after I hit it, I turned around just to look at our dugout and start celebrating. So I didn't really see it go all the way out.

Q. Dansby, when you were a teenager and in college, Freeman was making his mark in the Big Leagues. Then when you got traded over here, what did he represent to you as a Braves fan and then as a guy trying to get to the Braves? How has he lived up to that expectation?

DANSBY SWANSON: Freddie, as a fan, I don't even know if I can really even remember back to that. I know that he was always kind of like the next best thing, but I feel like all I ever think about him is as a teammate and a really close friend.

We have the same agent, and I've known Freddie for quite a while now. He means everything to this team. He's been through good times. He's been through the worst of times and now through the best of times.

Nobody deserves it on our team more than him. He stuck it out and really believed in the vision and mission that this place had. I'm just thankful for him to be on our team.

Q. Back in '17 he played third base for a while, to be a good teammate. How did that strike you back then?

DANSBY SWANSON: I think it shows you everything about Freddie. He's willing to do everything he can to win. That's how he goes about his business every single day.

Q. Jorge, as you mentioned, when you connected on the home run, you looked at the dugout and celebrated. On the broadcast, it looked like you were yelling something back in the dugout. Do you remember what that was and can you share it?

JORGE SOLER: I just said, I'm here.

Q. Dansby, I wanted to ask you, it's been like an hour now, 90 minutes. Have you been able to take a step back and sort of digest what this means to you? I know, as a child, you probably dreamed of this. But what does it mean right now when you're at this moment?

DANSBY SWANSON: The only thing I can think of is just grateful. I'm so blessed to be here. This place, obviously, means the world to me. Just to be able to be here is truly remarkable.

I'm still a little numb from it all, and I feel like I'll probably be like that for a few days. I think just grateful is the word that comes to mind. There's no better place for this to happen. Wow, it's home. I feel right at home taking this back home.

Q. Are you like other players, you dreamed of this growing up?

DANSBY SWANSON: Oh, yeah. Ever since I can remember, I've played this game in the backyard or played this game in Wiffle ball with my buddies. Everything you do is for moments like these. And I'm just so grateful for it to be here.

Q. Dansby, in so many ways, it's fitting that Freddie caught the last out, but when you fielded that ball, were you automatically going to Freddie, or did you almost have to remind yourself to go to Freddie?

DANSBY SWANSON: No, I already got pissed at Ozzie. I looked at him right before the play, and I pointed at him, hey, you're going to be at second base, right? Yeah. And he wasn't. So I've already gotten onto him about that. So that's kind of why I looked at Ozzie and then threw to first base because I was trying to end the game.

Q. Dansby, how glad are you that you'll never have to hear me or anybody else ask about the Atlanta curse?

DANSBY SWANSON: Yeah, I don't even want to say the words. I'm just -- wow, it's been broken, I guess. It's been broken. We're coming back home as World Series champions.

Q. Jorge, you and Joc and Eddie and Adam all came in midseason. What was it that you guys -- what was your mindset coming, and how did you accomplish what you accomplished?

JORGE SOLER: When we all got traded, Rosario was out, so it was the three of us playing every day. I felt like we had a really good thing going. We were supporting each other and getting that playing time. When Eddie came back, he just kind of burst onto the scene. It was kind of one of those things where we were all taking turns. We weren't playing every day. Whoever was sitting out that day, we were supporting the other ones.

It felt like we had very good chemistry from the very beginning. It felt like we all truly supported each other and helped each other out whenever we could.