Wednesday’s 7-6 win over the New York Yankees lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to their eighth World Collection championship in franchise historical past and second in 5 seasons.
It set off large celebrations on the sector at Yankee Stadium and hundreds of kilometres away in California.
“I believe it is particular, and that is what we attempt to do beginning each spring coaching,” mentioned Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who was named World Collection MVP. “Profitable a championship is the toughest factor to do.”
Throughout this postseason run, Freeman at instances made it look simple. He set a brand new World Collection document, changing into the primary participant to hit a house run in every of the primary 4 video games of a collection. Going again to the 2021 World Collection whereas taking part in with Atlanta, he established one other document, going deep in six consecutive video games.
Freeman additionally tied the autumn basic document with 12 RBIs.
“That is what you dream about as a child, doing that within the World Collection,” Freeman mentioned. “Perhaps in just a few days and I’ll let it settle in, however proper now I am simply ecstatic.”
The 2024 season was additionally marked by private adversity for Freeman and his household. He missed eight video games to be on the bedside of his three-year-old son Maximus, who was hospitalized with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a uncommon neurological dysfunction.
“My three-year-old son is needing assist to breathe, when 5 days earlier he was doing entrance flips,” an emotional Freeman instructed reporters on Aug. 12.
An Orange County, Calif., native, Freeman was born to Canadian dad and mom.
His father Frederick is from Windsor, Ont., and his mom Rosemary was from Peterborough, Ont.
When he was 10 years outdated, his mom died from pores and skin most cancers. As a tribute to his mother, Freeman holds twin citizenship and performs for Canada at worldwide baseball occasions.
“She’s acquired a entrance row seat up there, watching and consuming popcorn and watching the sport,” Freeman instructed TSN in 2017. “She was a Canadian by way of and thru and I will be a Canadian by way of and thru and I believe she’s going to be fairly proud.”
“To see him with conviction carrying that Crew Canada jersey and to see the response of his father, who is aware of it’s a tribute to his mom who handed away from most cancers, that is what makes it particular,” baseball analyst Wealthy Griffin mentioned.
Griffin added it additionally offers Canadian baseball followers another excuse to cheer for Freddie Freeman, who’s a World Collection champion for the second time in his profession.