🚨OMBSHELL: In Los Angeles and Cooperstown, Freddie Freeman will forever be remembered as a Dodger, not a Brave. The legendary first baseman has cemented his legacy in LA, but his ties to Atlanta will always be part of the story. Will Freeman’s future in Dodger blue be as iconic as his time in Atlanta?…ll 👇👇👇

 

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers have played mostly great baseball in Los Angeles for 68 years. How many position players wear the iconic L.A. cap on a Hall of Fame plaque?

In L.A. and Hall of Fame, Freddie Freeman is a Dodger, not a Brave - Los  Angeles Times

Go on, take a guess.

Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers’ star first baseman: “Three?”

Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations: “Two?”

The correct answer is zero.

The players who wear the L.A. logo in Cooperstown, New York: Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Don Sutton. The Fox ownership deprived fans of Mike Piazza, and voters deprived Maury Wills, but the answer remains zero.

“That is fascinating,” Freeman said. “That is amazing.”

That means the first position player to wear an L.A. cap in the Hall of Fame might well be the one who shed tears over leaving the Atlanta Braves. Freeman preferred to stay, but the Dodgers offered him a six-year contract and the Braves did not.

“Going into that offseason, it was hard to imagine him in a different uniform,” Friedman said. “And now it’s really hard to see him in a different uniform than ours.”

Yet the love affair between Freeman and Braves fans was so evident in his 2022 return to Atlanta that, in the moment, Clayton Kershaw said, “I hope we’re not second fiddle.”

Said Freeman: “I don’t shy away. I had 12 great years in Atlanta, but I’m having a blast here. It’s been four wonderful years, a couple of World Series titles. I’m here. I love every minute of this.”

We remember best what we remember last. Freeman is well aware of his legacy.

“Walk-off grand slam,” he said.

In L.A. and Hall of Fame, Freddie Freeman is a Dodger, not a Brave - Los  Angeles Times

No one else in major league history has hit one in the World Series. That was the “Gibby, meet Freddie!” moment.

What is Kirk Gibson remembered for? Do we have to ask?

Gibson played 12 years in Detroit and won a World Series. He played three years in Los Angeles, won a World Series, and one of the greatest moments in baseball history was immortalized by one of the greatest calls in baseball history: “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!”

Gibson is a Dodger.

Freeman played 12 years in Atlanta and won a World Series. He has played four years in Los Angeles and won two, including the walk-off grand slam to end one World Series game and a walk-off home run to end an 18-inning World Series game.

Freeman is a Dodger.

If you could follow him around town, you would see.

“I haven’t been able to leave my house once in the last few years without someone coming up to me,” he said. “Sometimes you just want to incognito and get somewhere, but you can’t. It’s OK. That just means we’re doing something special here.

“Even in Orange County, it’s kind of taken over. There are a lot more L.A. hats walking around than Angels hats in Orange County.

“It’s just fun to be a Dodger right now. It’s hard not to watch us wherever we go, and that’s special. It’s a great place to play. People want to come here and play. The fans obviously love us, and we appreciate all of it.”

Even the traffic. Freeman grew up in Orange County, so he takes L.A. traffic in stride.

“The 55 isn’t that good either,” he said with a grin. “Or the 91.”

It sounds unlikely that Freeman could play two or three times as long with the Braves and enter the Hall of Fame as a Dodger.

The totals through 12 years in Atlanta: one championship, five All-Star appearances, one MVP award, three top-five MVP finishes, a .295 batting average, .893 OPS.

The totals through four years in Los Angeles: two championships, four All-Star appearances, two top-five MVP finishes, two legendary moments, a .310 batting average, .907 OPS.

Freeman is 36. His contract covers two more seasons, although he said he would like to play four more with the Dodgers and then call it a career. That would make 12 years with the Braves and eight with the Dodgers.

Then, assuming his career does not fall off a cliff: Cooperstown.

“I’ve only been here for four years, and you’re already talking about this?” Freeman said. “That makes me happy because that means I’ve done my job well.”

Reggie Jackson played 10 years with the Oakland Athletics and five with the New York Yankees. His Hall of Fame cap features the Yankees.

Nolan Ryan played nine years with the Houston Astros and eight with the Angels. His Hall of Fame cap features the Texas Rangers, his team for five years.

If Freeman is elected, he and the Hall will confer about which team should be represented on his cap. That conversation might be a decade away, but I’ll say it now: In L.A. and in Cooperstown, Freeman is a Dodger.

Related Posts

🚨REPORT: Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto made a fan’s day at the World Baseball Classic with a heartwarming gesture that had the crowd buzzing. As one of Japan’s brightest stars, Yamamoto proved his popularity off the field as well, solidifying his status as a fan favorite. Could this be the start of something even bigger for the young ace?…ll 👇👇👇

🚨 TEAM JAPAN PREPS FOR 2026 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto Lead the Charge with High Hopes 👇 The 2026 edition of the World…

BREAKING: FreddŃ–e Freemаn BreаkŃ• UŃ€ аѕ He AnnounceŃ• Son’ѕ SerŃ–ouŃ• Illneѕѕ Before the Seаѕon – DodgerŃ• аnd the EntŃ–re MLB UnŃ–ted Ń–n Prаyer…

LOŃ• аNGeLeŃ• – JuŃ•t weekŃ• before OŃ€enŃ–ng Dаy, LoŃ• аngeleŃ• DodgerŃ• Ń•tаr FreddŃ–e Freemаn Ń•tunned the bаѕebаll communŃ–ty when he offŃ–cіаlly аnnounced hŃ–Ń• Ń•on Ń–Ń• fаcŃ–ng а…

🚨 THE 2032 MASTERPLAN! RED SOX PLAY THE LONG GAME — SACRIFICING TODAY’S HYPE FOR TOMORROW’S DYNASTY WITH A BRUTAL ROSTER CUT. In а bold аnd cаlculаted move, the Boѕton Red Sox аre ѕаcrіfіcіng іmmedіаte ѕucceѕѕ іn fаvor of long-term domіnаnce. Wіth а tough roѕter cut thаt ѕhocked fаnѕ, the Red Sox аre ѕettіng theіr ѕіghtѕ on buіldіng а dynаѕty for 2032, wіth а ѕtrаtegy thаt goeѕ аgаіnѕt the grаіn of ѕhort-term thіnkіng. Thіѕ move hаѕ left the MLB world buzzіng, queѕtіonіng how fаr the Red Sox аre wіllіng to go for the future. 👇👇

Ń–n the hŃ–gh-Ń•tаkeŃ• world of MLB roŃ•ter decіѕіonŃ•, the BoŃ•ton Red Ń•ox аre fаcŃ–ng а ріvotаl moment thаt could defŃ–ne theŃ–r future for yeаrŃ• to come. WŃ–th…

🚨 GAME CHANGER: Atlanta Braves vs Kansas City Royals at Truist Park — Start Time Suddenly Shifted Fans planning their day may need to adjust, as a surprising new first-pitch time has everyone double-checking their tickets. Why the sudden change — and how could it impact the matchup?

Early-Morning International Spotlight Meets Prime-Time Energy in Atlanta Opening week in Major League Baseball continues with a compelling interleague clash as the Atlanta Braves host the Kansas…

TOP STORY: Atlanta Braves Turn Heads in Split-Squad Showcase Behind Austin Riley Riley’s blast grabbed attention, but Atlanta’s depth stole the show — young arms sharp, veterans steady, and lineup options everywhere. Spring may be early, but this felt like a statement.

Spring training can feel chaotic — two fields, two lineups, coaches drifting between backfields. But for the Atlanta Braves, split-squad day sharpened the focus rather than scattering…

“HE IS THE WORST SHOOTER I’VE EVER COACHED; IF THIS CONTINUES, I WILL DROP HIM OFF FOR THE NEW SEASON…” — Head coach Alex Cora publicly criticized a Boston Red Sox player after the embarrassing loss to the Baltimore Orioles. He also announced a series of disciplinary actions for underperforming young players as a warning after witnessing such a lack of determination in the recent game…

The BoŃ•ton Red Ń•ox аre enterŃ–ng а crŃ–tŃ–cаl juncture аѕ ѕрrŃ–ng trаіnŃ–ng Ń€rogreѕѕeŃ• аnd the 2026 regulаr Ń•eаѕon loomŃ•, wŃ–th mаnаger аlex Corа delŃ–verŃ–ng а Ń•tаrk аnd…