Dodgers Interview: Freddie on the vibes heading into the Wild Card
"We're ready for Tuesday."
LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman talked with MLB Network on Monday and walked through his day. “I did an interview about an hour ago and then I got a haircut because I wanted to look a little younger,” he joked about his tenth October. “I’ve shaved the beard, got rid of the gray a little bit, and after this I’ll start my routine of knee drills, hand drills, then warm up in the cage.” He added the full plan: “We have a three-stage look at the Reds starters and relievers, we’ll shag, do some defense, hit on-field BP, then an advance meeting. I just gave you the whole rundown.”
Experience has changed how he preps. “There’s way more information and analytics now than there was in 2012,” he said. “We have an app where we can look at all our at-bats. I’ve already watched all my at-bats against Hunter Greene in my career, what he’s done in this last month, how he’s attacking hitters a little bit differently. He had a great September, so I’m seeing what’s different.” The group pulls it together in the room. “Some guys want more information, some want less. I think we have a team that’s right in the middle. In our hitters meetings, each hitter talks about their approach and what they’re looking for to help guys who haven’t faced him.”
He did not gloss over the path. “It’s a different route this year. We would love a first-round bye, but it didn’t happen. We hit a lot of speed bumps, a lot of injuries, we didn’t play as well,” he said. “But the last month for our starting pitching, the last couple weeks offensively, and our bullpen has really started clicking together at the right time. Hopefully we can feed off the energy from Seattle and Arizona. We’re feeling good about ourselves. Our pitching is healthy. We do have some aches and pains on the offensive side and we’re trying to make sure Will Smith, Tommy Edman, Maxy are feeling good. Everyone’s feeling confident. We know how hard winning in October is, but we have a lot of experience and the vibes are high.”
He lit up when asked about the top of the order. “I heard Doc say Sho is once in a generational player. I think it’s once in about eight generations,” Freeman said. “It’s incredible. Last year he was rehabbing Tommy John and what he was doing was amazing. Now he did it pitching and hitting. Saturday was the big one. We gave him an off day in Seattle, but his off day was getting ready to throw a bullpen. He’s doing the work of two players.” On Mookie’s September and the move to short, he kept it clear. “He wasn’t Mookie for the first couple months, but he’s looking really good the last month or two. People didn’t realize how good of a shortstop he was defensively too. I think he led shortstops in DRS this year, which is pretty amazing. It’s Mookie Betts. I don’t think anybody’s worried about him.”
Kershaw came up and the respect was obvious. “You could tell this year he didn’t want to end being hurt like last year,” Freeman said. “Once he found out he was going to get the surgeries and get it all done, you knew he’d come back. Eighteen years and to go 11-2 with a 3.30 ERA this year, it’s incredible. I told him a couple days ago he could still do it two more years. His response was, I don’t know if I can get this carcass out there every five days anymore.” The career speaks for itself. “Clayton’s special. First-ballot Hall of Famer. In my opinion the best pitcher of our generation. It’s been an honor,” he said, smiling about Sunday’s moment. “Doc let me take him out of the game. I wish I had my hat on. I did my first pitching change ever and he disobeyed me. He wouldn’t give me the ball. He went five and a third, seven strikeouts, ending on a strikeout. You couldn’t have scripted it better. I don’t think he’s on the Wild Card roster because he threw five plus innings yesterday, but hopefully we get through this and get him on the NLDS roster.”
Before he signed off, he brought it back to the simple stuff that carries a team through a week like this. “We’ve got our plan of attack. We’ve talked through it. We’re ready to go for tomorrow,” he said. “Feel good, play good. The vibes are high.”
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