DENVER (AP) — Freddie Freeman’s biggest play at first base in the season opener may have been a supportive hug.
The new Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman knew all too well the feelings Colorado’s José Iglesias was experiencing.
After achieving a runscoring single on Friday, Iglesias pointed to the sky when he was overcome with emotion. Iglesias told a concerned Freeman how he had recently lost his father, who had seen just about every hit in the big league – until this one.
An instant bond. Freeman lost his mother to skin cancer when he was 10.
“I was just trying to be there for him, comfort him and just know it’s more than a game,” Freeman said on Saturday as he sat in the clubhouse. “You never know what any of us go through in life. If he hadn’t told me, I would never have known he lost his father a few weeks ago. So I think it kind of reminds you to just have some to have compassion and some humility and just be nice to others.
“Because at that moment all I wanted to do was hug that man.”
Iglesias appreciated Freeman’s support and kind words in the second inning. Freeman tapped Iglesias on the helmet and pulled him toward him for a reassuring hug.
“He knows what it feels like,” said Iglesias, whose father was from Cuba. “Freddie is a great guy.”
Iglesias talked about the role his father played in his life growing up, how he worked long hours in a factory. But no matter how tired he was, he always took his son to the baseball field.
“It was his dream to see me play in the big leagues,” said Iglesias, who made his major league debut with Boston in 2011. “He once told me, he said, ‘If I ever see you play one day (in the majors), I’d do well to go after that.’ He’s watched me play for ten years. … He’s in a better place now and watches me every day.’
The moment struck Freeman too.
“It just reminded me of my mom and stuff,” Freeman said. “If you lose a parent, all you can do is give that person a hug. There is no word that will be real enough.
“His father beamed down on him to get that single. You will never forget your father. So all I could do was give him a hug.”
Freeman, the 2020 NL MVP, signed a $162 million six-year contract with Los Angeles after leading the Atlanta Braves to a World Series championship last season. But on Friday, at that point in the second inning, it was bigger than baseball.
“We’re a brotherhood,” Freeman said. “We have different uniforms on, but if you take the uniforms off, we are all friends in this game. … You meet a lot of great people.
“Looks like his family loves baseball as much as I do baseball. So I’m just happy to be a part of it and just let him know that I care about him.”
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