Tag: MLB

Freddie Freeman delivered a beautiful tribute to his dad after World Series walk-off grand slam

“If he didn’t love the game of baseball, I wouldn’t be here playing this game.”

As Freddie Freeman finished rounding the bases after his epic walk-off grand slam to win Game 1 of the World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he didn’t just celebrate with his teammates at home plate.

The former MVP immediately ran over to the fans behind home plate, jumped up into the netting and found his father for a moment that will rival the home run itself.

The Dodgers’ star wanted to make his dad a part of the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history and he had a perfect explanation why. In the postgame press conference, Freeman gave all the credit to his father Frederick in an absolutely beautiful tribute.

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…

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.

Such an incredibly beautiful moment between father and son and we’re all lucky we got to witness it.

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Joe Davis channeled Vin Scully’s epic call of Kirk Gibson’s home run on Freddie Freeman’s grand slam

Freddie Freeman recreated Kirk Gibson’s iconic home run and Joe Davis knew just how to react

The first walk-off grand slam in World Series history may have felt just a tiny bit familiar on Friday night.

As the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman launched the first pitch he saw from New York Yankees’ pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. in the 10th inning into the right field bleachers, Fox Sports play-by-play man Joe Davis instantly knew how to react. His call of the moment mirrored Vin Scully’s iconic call of an injured Kirk Gibson’s two-run walk-off homer for the Dodgers in 1988 World Series.

Both home runs occurred in Game 1, both featured the hitter battling lower body injuries and both left baseball fans with their jaws on the ground.

Check out the similarities between the two moments and prepare for some goosebumps. The synced-up moments are eerier than anything else you’ll see this spooky season.

This World Series already absolutely rules.

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Freddie Freeman instantly knew he hit the Dodgers’ World Series Game 1-winning walk-off grand slam

Freddie Freeman hit the first-ever World Series walk-off grand slam for the Dodgers.

You could tell: Freddie Freeman immediately knew he just secured the victory for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night. He just knew.

With the bases loaded — Chris Taylor was on third, Tommy Edman on second and Mookie Betts was intentionally walked — and the New York Yankees holding onto to a 3-2 lead in the 10th. Two outs, and the Yankees were taking their chance with Freeman at bat.

New York had Nestor Cortes on the mound, and when he delivered his first pitch to Freeman, the Dodgers’ first baseman knocked it out of the park with a 423-foot walk-off grand slam to lead Los Angeles to a 6-3 win.

WORLD SERIES: Even Freddie Freeman had to marvel at Giancarlo Stanton’s mammoth World Series home run

It was the first-ever walk-off grand slam in World Series history, according to the Fox broadcast.

And here’s a closer look at Freeman, knowing exactly what he just did.

What a way for Game 1 of the World Series to end. The Dodgers enter Saturday’s Game 2 at Dodger Stadium with a 1-0 series lead.

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World Series fans made the same joke after umps ruled fan interference on a possible Yankees home run

A lot of baseball fans had the same thought after fan interference was called on a potential Yankees homer.

In a controversial call in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series on Friday night, a fly ball from the bat of New York Yankees’ Gleyber Torres was caught by a fan at Dodger Stadium. It was ultimately ruled as fan interference by the World Series umps, and baseball fans were stunned.

Let’s back up.

In the top of the ninth in a 2-2 game between New York and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Torres swung on the 2-1 pitch, and the ball looked like it had a real shot to be the Yankees’ go-ahead home run late in the game. But a fan in the stands reached over with a glove and caught the ball, which might have made it over the wall but also looked like it easily could have been short.

Either way, the umpires declared it was fan interference and not a home run, which landed Torres on second.

Obviously, baseball fans couldn’t believe what they just saw.

And, especially after a Fox replay from the 1996 Yankees-Orioles ALCS, a lot of them made the same joke, referencing Jeffrey Maier, who was 12 years old when he interfered with a ball hit by Yankees’ Derek Jeter in what was called a home run.

How baseball fans on Twitter reacted to the World Series fan interference call

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Even Freddie Freeman had to marvel at Giancarlo Stanton’s mammoth World Series home run

Freddie Freeman was as amazed as we all were by Giancarlo Stanton’s go-ahead, 412-foot moonshot.

Sometimes, all you can do is stop and appreciate an out-of-this-world home run — even when the opposing team hits it.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman did just that on Friday night during Game 1 of the World Series when New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton broke a 1-0 game wide open, ending the shutout for New York in the top of the sixth with a monstrosity of a home run ball that traveled 412 feet.

As Freeman watched the ball fly out of Dodger Stadium, he could only sit back and marvel at what Stanton just did. He’s really just like us.

It’s not the first time Freeman has had a reaction like this to another team’s home run. He had another similarly hilarious reaction to a moonshot from Ronald Acuna Jr. last August, turning to the camera to make a Jim Halpert-esque face.

The Dodgers will just hope he doesn’t make this face too many more times during the World Series.

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What is the Dodgers dance they perform after hits?

Are you wondering about the story behind the Dodgers’ signature base hit celebrations? We’ve got you covered.

If you’ve been watching the Los Angeles Dodgers run through the postseason to the 2024 World Series, you may have noticed a recurring dance every time the team records a base hit.

The dance, an iconic shimmy of sorts, is nothing new for the team. Los Angeles has been doing it after hits since at least last season, and in a TikTok posted by the official team account in August, shortstop Miguel Rojas explained the choreography behind the dance.

For singles, players do a hip lock while putting their own spin on it. This started as a result of the team’s strength coaches having the players do daily hip locks. For doubles, players recreate first baseman Freddie Freeman’s signature shimmy celebration with a hip lock at the end, again putting their own spin on it.

When a Dodgers player hits a home run and the team dugout is on the third-base line, they do a modified version of Freeman’s shimmy dance, as Rojas explains.

@dodgers

Miggy breaks down the team’s celebrations this year. 😂 #dodgers #sports #losangeles #dance #funny

♬ original sound – Los Angeles Dodgers

As Rojas points out in the video, the home run celebration in particular gets a lot of usage by Shohei Ohtani, who has 54 home runs on the 2024 season.

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Mary Hart was back behind home plate for Dodgers-Yankees World Series Game 1

Dodgers super-fan and longtime Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart was back behind home

If you were watching Game 1 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night, you may have spotted a familiar face behind home plate.

Mary Hart, the host of the popular program Entertainment Tonight for 30 years from 1982-2011, is back as the Dodgers look to capture another World Series title.

Hart is a big-time Dodgers fan and has been a fixture at their games for years now, including throughout the current postseason run as she was seen behind the plate at home games at Dodger Stadium during the NLCS against the New York Mets.

With two of Major League Baseball’s biggest brands facing off with a World Series on the line, there should be no shortage of celebrity appearances whether the game is held in Los Angeles or the Bronx.

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Who are the umpires for Dodgers-Yankees World Series Game 1?

Here’s who is part of the nine-person umpire crew for the 2024 World Series.

Happy World Series, baseball fans! It’s going to be a great series between two blue-blood franchises with the New York Yankees taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Now, we hope it doesn’t come to this, but sometimes, umpires make mistakes or create controversies over certain calls. And sometimes, those calls alter the direction of the game or series, and if that happens, you’ll probably want to know who to be mad at. We’ve got you covered.

For the 2024 World Series, the nine-person umpire crew includes crew chief Mark Carlson, Doug Eddings, Chad Fairchild, Andy Fletcher, Mark Ripperger, Todd Tichenor and Carlos Torres. Additionally, Cory Blaser and James Hoye are the umpires on replay duty.

As USA TODAY noted, the seven-umpire crew means each game is expected to have a different ump behind home plate.

For Game 1 of the 2024 World Series — set for Friday, October 25 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles — here’s where each ump is scheduled to be working.

Home plate: Carlos Torres

First base: Mark Carlson

Second base: Doug Eddings

Third base: Mark Ripperger

Left field: Chad Fairchild

Right field: Todd Tichenor

Reserve: Andy Fletcher

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Dodgers-Yankees announcers on Fox: Who’s calling the 2024 World Series?

Here’s who’s calling the 2024 World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers.

It’s World Series time, folks! And the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers are facing off, playing for another Commissioner’s Trophy to add to their illustrious collections of awards.

To get to the 2024 World Series, the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series and then topped the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series. On the other side of the league, the Yankees took down the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series before beating the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series.

Fox will broadcast all seven games of the World Series — should all of them be necessary — and you might be wondering: Who are those voices you’re hearing on the broadcast?

On Fox, Joe Davis is on the play-by-play, John Smoltz is doing color commentary, Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will be dugout reporters and Tom Rinaldi will serve as the features reporter.

On Fox Deportes, fans will hear veteran play-by-play announcer Adrian Garcia-Marquez, analyst Edgar Gonzalez, along with Carlos Alvarez and Jaime Motta as reporters and analysts.

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