It was a long All-Star week for the Atlanta Braves, which are now thankfully back in action, having split the first two games of their series against the Yankees heading into Sunday. However, if there were a hangover from last week, it’s all thanks to Freddie Freeman.
The former Brave received multiple standing ovations in his All-Star return to Truist Park, and even released a documentary about his 2022 free-agency saga, when he left Atlanta for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Braves fans could not escape Freeman, which makes this direct confrontation all the more surprising.
When it was clear Freeman was leaving Atlanta, Alex Anthopoulos acted quickly and traded for then-Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson to replace him. Olson has, for the most part, been excellent during his Braves tenure.
However, some fans romanticize Freeman’s time in Atlanta so much that they place unfair expectations on Olson.
Freddie Freeman doesn’t understand why Braves fans are upset with Matt Olson
Freeman addressed that and more during the All-Star Break, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
“Dodgers All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman believes it’s a little silly when Atlanta fans keep comparing first baseman Matt Olson to him simply because he was the one who replaced Freeman,” Nightengale wrote. “’I don’t feel for him because he hits 50 home runs a year,’ Freeman said. ‘He’s doing just fine. He hits way more homers than me. Let Matt Olson be Matt Olson. He’s doing a wonderful job.'”
Freeman makes a good point in that every player is different. To criticize Olson for not living up to Hall-of-Fame expectations isn’t fair. However, Freeman also underestimates the emotional aspect of this conversation, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson debate will rage on
When Freeman left the Braves for one of their National League rivals, it hurt the fanbase. Heck, it even hurt Freeman, who seemed to struggle in his first return to Atlanta in his first season as a Dodger.
And it wasn’t just that Freeman left, but how it occurred, that makes Braves fans second guess the decision.
Freeman’s agent at the time, Casey Close, allegedly didn’t correctly communicate the Braves timeline to him (it should be noted that Close filed a lawsuit against FOX Sports’ Doug Gottlieb for spreading such a rumor). Thus, Freeman ran out of time, and Atlanta moved forward with plans to trade for Olson.
It’s only natural for the two to be compared because of this. Players are forced to move on, performing as best as they can on the field for their respective teams.
That’s not what it’s like as a fan. We live for nostalgia, and don’t have the luxury of moving on with such ease.
This isn’t to say Freeman and Olson don’t have a tough time escaping each others’ shadow – they do. But Freeman has since won a World Series, while Olson has emerged as one of the best power hitters in the National League – including 54 big flies in 2023. No matter what the accomplishments, Braves fans are left wondering what if.
