Kirk Gibson turned on his cellphone to observe the Dodgers in Recreation 1 of the World Collection simply in time to see Freddie Freeman emulate his 1988 walk-off dwelling run.
Gibson knew Freeman can be the hero of the sport as the primary baseman stepped within the batter’s field within the backside of the tenth inning. Freeman was banged up like Gibson was over thirty years in the past, and as historical past repeated itself, the Dodgers icon witnessed the delivery of a brand new legend.
“I simply thought, ‘That is going to occur,’” Gibson instructed Dodgers’ Cary Osborne. “I might simply really feel it.”
Gibson was proper. Freeman hit the primary pitch from Nestor Cortes to proper discipline in eerily comparable trend to Gibson’s 1988 World Collection swing.
Gibson then heard the now eternally well-known name by Joe Davis.
“She is gone! Gibby meet Freddie!”
A smile appeared on the previous Dodger’s face. In a season stuffed with trials and tribulations for Freeman, the primary baseman earned his spot in baseball historical past.
Freeman handled a number of accidents this 12 months, but additionally missed a number of video games because of the hospitalization of his three-year outdated son, Maximus. Freeman’s son was identified with a uncommon type of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
“What an ideal man,” Gibson mentioned of Freeman. “All he’s been via this 12 months, and it’s unimaginable. And he’s received to really feel excellent immediately — not only for himself, however for his teammates and his group. It’s been unimaginable. It’s not been all easy crusing, for certain. I don’t know Freddie very properly. We work in the identical locations occasionally, and he’s all the time been cordial and respectful. I do know he actually cares concerning the sport and the folks that have supported him and his teammates. So it couldn’t occur to a greater man.”
Gibson recalled his personal walk-off homer in Recreation 1 of the 1988 World Collection. Freeman’s walk-off grand slam felt like a replay of the long-lasting second, solely lacking the fist pumps.
“When it occurred to me operating across the bases, it occurs so quick, however but so sluggish,” Gibson mentioned.
After Friday evening, Gibson formally handed the torch to Freeman because the proprietor of the Dodgers’ new historic second.
“After it’s all mentioned and performed. There’s a brand new guard,” Gibson mentioned. “Freddie Freeman’s his identify.”
Picture Credit score: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Photos
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