Freddie Freeman’s path to baseball glory began in tree-lined Villa Park, a small Orange County, California, neighborhood, where he spent childhood days playing Wiffle Ball with his older brothers, Andrew and Phillip.
“When you’re 5 years old with your two brothers… those are the scenarios you dream about—two outs, bases loaded in a World Series game,” Freeman, 35, reflected after banging the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history against the Yankees in Game 1 on Friday night in Los Angeles.
Freeman demolished the first 93-mph pitch from Yankees left-handed reliever Nestor Cortes, propelling the Dodgers to a thrilling come-from-behind 6-3 victory.
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With two outs and the bases loaded, Yankees manager Aaron Boone had intentionally walked Mookie Betts, thinking Cortes would have a better chance against the left-handed Freeman. That decision backfired spectacularly as Freeman launched the historic grand slam that landed 423 feet away on the right field pavilion.
There have been 120 Fall Classics in baseball history, but there had never been a grand slam walk-off until Freeman stepped to the plate with his sprained right ankle and memories of his 1 for 15 slump against the Mets in the NLCS.
Freeman’s home run wasn’t just a swing; it was the culmination of a year-long journey marked by adversity—playing through injuries, missing games for family emergencies, and pushing his team through the season’s highs and lows.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised him: “When you do things the right way, the game honors you… Tonight, Freddie was honored.”
Freeman held his bat high like a torch as he watched the 109-mph line-drive reach the right field stands, realizing the moment he’d envisioned as a child.
The crowd of 52,394 erupted, seeing baseball history being made before them.
“It felt like nothing, just kind of floating,” he said. With this swing, Freeman reminded the world that dreams, no matter where they begin, can come true.
This moment carried more than immediate significance. History suggests it may shape the entire series—teams that win Game 1 have gone on to claim the title in 24 of the last 30 World Series, an impressive 80 percent success rate.
“For us to get that first win, especially like that, that’s pretty good,” Freeman said, always modest. “But we’ve got three more to go.”
Overcoming adversity defined Freeman’s journey to this point. Earlier in the season, he dealt with a broken finger, and missed time to care for his son Max, who faced a temporary paralysis from a neurological disorder. Yet on this night, none of that mattered.
“You dream of those moments even when you’re 35 and been in the league for 15 years,” Freeman said.
On Friday night, he lived that dream, sending a message to young athletes everywhere: No matter where they begin—whether in a backyard with a Wiffle Ball or a dirt field with a soccer ball, dreams do come true, and the game will honor you some day in some way—if you’ve got grit, patience and a little bit of fall magic.
