Following in the footsteps of Kirk Gibson’s legendary 1988 World Series game, Freddie Freeman delivered a historic World series-opening blast for the Dodgers. Despite nursing a sprained ankle, Freeman persevered through the pain to hit the first walk-off grand slam in the history of the Fall Classic. Freeman’s victory comes 36 years after Gibson, playing on a sprained knee, won Game 1 of the 1988 World Series for the Dodgers. The home run sent the crowd of over 52,000 into a delirium.
Freeman is only the third player, along with Gibson and Joe Carter in 1993, to hit a walk-off home run in the World Series while their team was behind. The historic hit granted the Dodgers a 6–3 comeback victory over the Yankees in Game 1. Playing under strain due to his ankle injury, Freeman likened his jubilant run around the bases to floating. Teammate Max Muncy, who scored a game-winning home run in 2018’s World Series Game 3, concurred with Freeman’s experience, saying “You black out in the moment… I’m going to remember this one a lot more than I remember mine.”
The decisive moment came when the Yankees purposely walked Mookie Betts to load the bases, setting up a left-on-left matchup. It was Freeman who stepped up to home plate against Nestor Cortes, who had been added to the playoff roster after sitting out the Yankees’ first two playoff series with an elbow injury. Gavin Lux, the Dodgers’ infielder, pointed out the irony in the situation — “You walk a first-ballot Hall of Famer, to get to another first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
Freeman’s performance was particularly significant considering his recent injury history. Unable to play in two of the Dodgers’ last few games of the National League Championship Series, the short break before the World Series provided an opportunity for the injured star to recuperate. Throughout the playoffs, it was uncertain whether Freeman would be able to play or not. Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts often had to ascertain Freeman’s availability just prior to the first pitch.
Freeman’s start to the playoffs was decent but was shadowed by a 1-for-15 stretch, during which he only scored once. Due to his injury, longer series games became increasingly challenging and began to impact his swing. Nevertheless, the Dodgers decided to rest Freeman for Game 6 of the NLCS, allowing him a week’s respite to recover for the World Series. Freeman’s teammates acknowledged his grit and determination despite his circumstances, with Lux stating, “If there’s kids out there that want an idol, that’s the guy you want to try to be like right there.”
Through all the adversities that Freeman faced, he demonstrated courage and tenacity not only on the field but also off it, dealing with the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease, in his 3-year-old son Max. However, through all these challenges, Freeman continued to focus on his game and his recovery, eventually culminating in his historic walk-off grand slam. Following the game, Freeman expressed his gratitude, saying “I love the history of this game. To be a part of it, it’s special… You dream about those moments, even when you’re 35 and have been in the league for 15 years. You want to be a part of those.”
