Freddie Freeman deserving Hall of Fame honors even before iconic walk-off

Here’s my pledge to vote for Freddie Freeman for the Hall of Fame, which he deserved even before hitting his two-out, grand slam off Nestor Cortes to give the Dodgers a 6-3, 10th-inning, walk-off Game 1 victory. Freeman was hurting so badly in the NLCS, he had no balance at bat (the ankle injury, aggravated reaching up for a throw in the Division Series vs.San Diego, is supposed to be a four- to six-week thing.) Freeman was said to receive multiple Toradol shots, and while he’s obviously looking and feeling better than Kirk Gibson (he tripled earlier in the game and played 1B), his homer conjured images of the Gibson all-timer in Game 1 of the 1988 Series. “Gladiator!” one Dodgers official exclaimed. Scouts questioned Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s call to go with Cortes over Tim Hill in that fateful spot against superstars Shohei Ohtani and Freeman, citing two issues beyond Hill’s dependability (one earned run in 5 ²/₃ postseason innings).

One, Cortes hadn’t pitched in 37 days due to his elbow issue; and two, he’s normally a starter (and not a huge velocity starter either). “I’ve seen this before in the postseason where a guy is pitching outside of his normal role, and it doesn’t work,” one scout said. Boone cited the way Cortes looked in bullpen sessions.But as one scout pointed out, “Those are not games!” Boone said he liked the matchup with Ohtani, and Cortes did retire the NL’s best left-handed hitter, as Ohtani fouled out to left fielder Alex Verdugo, who made an acrobatic catch while catapulting into the stands.

By rule, Dodgers runners advanced one base to second and third, leading to the sensible intentional walk to Mookie Betts that brought up Freeman, setting up a left-on-left matchup. Cortes deserves credit for pitching at risk.He said advisors/friends weighed in, but he continues to say he’s willing to risk 2025 for a ring. Of note, the Guardians were asking about Nestor Cortes at the deadline.

Brian Cashman...