MLB WORLD SERIES: YANKEES VS DODGERS

October 25, 2024

Freddie Freeman

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Dodgers - 6, Yankees - 3

Q. Freddie, what did it feel like rounding the bases there?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I haven't really -- it felt like nothing, just kind of floating. Those are the kind of things, when you're 5 years old with your two older brothers and you're playing wiffle ball in the backyard, those are the scenarios you dream about, two outs, bases loaded in a World Series game.

For it to actually happen and get a home run and walk it off to give us a 1-0 lead, that's as good as it gets right there.

Q. Coming off your ankle, and I guess just mentally your stepping up in that moment, what's going through your mind, and what enabled you to deliver?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: This last week has been really good for me. The first time I ran was when I ran out to give high fives to my teammates when we got introduced. Tried to stave off running as much as I could this week, treated it as much as I could. So I felt pretty good going into today. I don't feel it right now, so that's a good thing.

It's kind of pick your poison with that lineup. It doesn't matter really who you pitch to. We've got guys who can do that in every single spot in our order. Once I saw Aaron give the 4, I just started going through my plan and my process what I was going to look for and where I was going to look for it. A lot of heaters, that kind of ride.

So I just wanted to be on top of it and be on time for it. I was looking closer to me so I could leave the cutter and slider alone away. I wanted to be on time for it, and I was.

Q. Obviously you've seen the Kurt Gibson a bunch of times here in this ballpark.

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I played the whole game, though (laughter).

Q. Also, what does that mean for you to be the first person ever to hit a walkoff grand slam in a World Series?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Oh, really?

Q. First one.

FREDDIE FREEMAN: That's pretty cool. Obviously that's -- it's kind of like, it's kind of amazing. It's been a lot these last few months, been a grind, but things have been going so well at home. Max is doing great. Obviously the ankle is the ankle. It's a sprained ankle. It's as good as it's going to get.

But when you get told you do something like that in this game that's been around a very long time -- I love the history of this game, to be a part of it, it's special. I've been playing this game a long time, and to come up in those moments, you dream about those moments even when you're 35 and been in the league for 15 years, you want to be a part of those.

It's the kind of energy the crowd brought tonight. Game 1 of the World Series. Everyone's been talking about this all week. For us to get that first win, especially like that, that's pretty good, but we've got three more to go.

Q. What was that moment like with your dad?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I knew he was sitting there. He became friends with Marion Burt, so he's been sitting around in the front row. He's been throwing me batting practice since I can remember. My swing is because of him. My approach is because of him. I am who I am because of him.

It was kind of spur of the moment. I saw him hugging a lot of people back there. So all the batting practice, all the relentless hours we spent together on a baseball field, we still do it in the off-seasons together. He still throws me batting practice.

I think he was so nervous -- if I could talk to him, I bet he couldn't even -- he was so nervous going into that. I just wanted to share that with him because he's been there. He's been through a lot in his life too, and just to have a moment like that, I just wanted to be a part of that with him in that moment.

That's mostly his moment because if he didn't throw me batting practice -- if he didn't love the game of baseball, I wouldn't be here playing this game. So that's Fred Freeman's moment right there.

Q. What did you make of their decision to intentionally walk Mookie to get to you?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: We've been seeing it all year. They've been walking Shohei to get to Mookie, Mookie to get to me. That's kind of -- that's what I said earlier. I don't -- that's what's so good about our lineup. It's a tough matchup no matter where you are, trying to pitch -- it's left-on-left.

I understand. Right when they awarded him second and third, I knew I was going to be coming up in that moment. But right when I saw the 4, I went over what I was going to be looking for and tried to be simple and see it and hit it. Luckily, I did.

Q. Can you talk about Dodger fans, what that moment felt like, feeling the love. And it's loud here often, but I don't think it's been that loud here in a very long time.

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I've seen it very loud on the other side. Juan Uribe's home run still rings true in my head, 2013.

When I was gone the week and half with my family, that first day I came back, that's as special as it gets to make my family and I feel the love and the support. I tried to reciprocate it that night and thanking them and all this. But I think they appreciate this one a little bit more three months later.

So just the love, 53,000, 54,000 people every single night. Doesn't matter if it's a Monday, Tuesday throughout the course of the season, they're here supporting us.

First World Series in a long time, because 2020 was in Texas. They've been waiting a long time to see a World Series game here at Dodger Stadium, and I'm glad we were able to deliver a win tonight.

Q. You guys are 5-2 this postseason with a chance to be 6-2 tomorrow. What do you attribute that to in addition to the fans?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: At home?

Q. Yeah.

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I feel like we've been playing good baseball of late. You always want to get the wins in front of your home fans, especially when it's the first game of the series. For us to do that, especially them scoring a run at the top of the tenth, it's pretty hard to score runs in the postseason, get multiple hits.

Just a great job by Gavin and all those guys to get us up there and all those opportunities. To come out 1-0 is a huge start.

Q. Freddie, I was going to go with hobbled Dodger Game 1 home run theme, but I'll skip that and go with the ankle. You've been hitting long drives and maybe not elevating balls. What came together to have the elevating the ball and line drive?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I just feel like my ankle is in a good spot about three days ago and been able to work really hard throughout the course of the week. I was working with Robert a lot. We found a little cue about three days ago, and I started hitting on the field three days ago, and it was a line drive out to shortstop every single time. It has been a while since I've done that.

I was feeling pretty well the last few days on the cue that I had. It's not about lifting or doing any of that. If my swing's in the right spot and you're hitting line drives and your swing is in a good spot, that's where you create backspin. I can't create the spin. If I do, I'm going to topspin and hook everything. When your swing is good and direct to the ball, that's how you create the backspin, and I was able to do it.

Q. Is your adrenaline just chill right now?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Yeah, I want to run through this table and tackle all of you guys (laughter). This is pretty cool. It's going to be hard to sleep tonight.

Q. The triple, A, how good did it feel? When you saw you had that opportunity, was there any part of you that was like, oh, I'm not so sure about that?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: When I saw it go, I was going two right out of the box. Especially with two outs, you want to get in scoring position so you can score on a base hit. Then I saw it kick away, and I'm like, oh, geez, here we go. I had to get going just in case.

You want to get to third in that situation and obviously I knew I was going to make it, but it creates different things. So maybe Gerrit doesn't throw curveballs in the dirt. Maybe it makes him raise it up a little bit. And Teo lined out. It creates different things when you're on third base than on second. I was feeling pretty good before the game, so that's why I knew I was going to kind of make it.

Q. What was the cue you found a couple days ago?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: It's weird. You know how I step kind of in, I was actually thinking step out even though I'm not stepping out. It's more of a mental thing, you know. It's hard to -- I don't know how to translate that. I'm trying to think step out, but not actually step out. That's the cue. It's hard to explain, but it's working.

Q. All month we've just kind of seen what you've had to go through on a day-to-day basis just to even play five or six innings. How were you kind of able to stay upbeat throughout this process and know that a moment like this could be coming at some point?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I think you see the end result. I'm looking at myself on the TV. This trophy is what makes you go through the grind every day. When you step into Spring Training in February, your eyes are on that, to do everything you can. That's what's worth it for me.

I got here at 10:30 in the morning and started treatment and made it just in time for the hitters meeting. And I will start it all over again tomorrow because winning a World Series is everything. I will do everything I can be out there.

I feel okay right now, so I should be in there tomorrow. I haven't played a full game in a long time, so we'll see how I wake up. But I think we're in a really good spot with my ankle. These six days was huge for me. The swelling, we got down to the lowest number it was two days ago from the first time I hurt it. So I think we're in a good spot.

THE MODERATOR: A night you'll never forget. Great start to the World Series. Congrats.