NEW YORK-. When the world series, It was difficult to foresee what Freddie Freeman could contribute to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In the end, his contribution was such that it left no doubt as to who should be the Most Valuable Player.
Freeman broke records by hitting home runs in the first four games and tied a World Series record with 12 RBIs to lead the Dodgers to victory over the New York Yankees and their second championship in five years.
“That means there were a lot of my teammates on base,” Freeman said after receiving the World Series Most Valuable Player award, named in honor of Willie Mays. “I’m glad I got fit at the right time.”
The popular hitter stood out again Wednesday night with a two-run single off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole in a five-run fifth inning that helped Los Angeles to a decisive 7-6 victory in the fifth. duel.
Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson also drove in 12 runs in 1960 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who won the championship that year with Bill Mazeroski’s famous game-ending home run in Game 7.
Freeman racked up his total in just five games against New York, setting several World Series standards along the way.
The 35-year-old first baseman homered in each of the first four games, becoming the first player to accomplish that feat. The streak began when he hit the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history to win a thrilling first game in Los Angeles.
Freeman’s two-run homer in the first inning Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium made him the only player to homer in six consecutive Series games, dating back to the 2021 title he won with Atlanta.
He was deprived of an extra-base hit in the fourth inning of Game 5, when Aaron Judge made a sensational catch after his long drive hit the fence.
But the eventual award-winning baseball player put a finishing touch to a terrifying and difficult season for his family. Freeman missed eight games in July and August after his 3-year-old son, Maximus, fell ill while watching his father at the All-Star festivities in Texas.
When the family returned home, Max was hospitalized and put on a ventilator after experiencing partial paralysis and difficulty breathing. He was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré, the rare neurological condition that affects the immune system, nerves and muscles.
Max’s condition gradually improved, and Freeman returned to work on August 5. He was greeted with a standing ovation from Dodger fans, which brought Freeman to tears.
“I wish I never had to go through what we went through as a family. But ultimately, Maximus is really, really doing well now. He is a special child, but it has been a difficult three months. They really have been. “It’s been too much,” Freeman said.
“Then obviously with the injuries at the end, it makes it all worth it. I will never compare Maximus to baseball. I won’t do it. “They are two separate things, but with him well now, this means a little more.”
