Yardbarker
x
Sports world reacts to Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning against the New York Yankees during Game 1 of the 2024 MLB World Series. Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

'Salute': Sports world reacts to Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam in World Series Game 1

By Austen Bundy  |  Last updated Oct 26, 2024 12:59 AM ET

If you stayed up for the extra innings in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night, you witnessed a historic moment for baseball.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman stepped up to the plate after the New York Yankees decided to intentionally walk his teammate Mookie Betts in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Freeman must've taken the decision to pitch to him personally because the very next ball he saw, he launched into the right field seats and cleared the bases for a walk-off grand slam — the first of its kind in a World Series ever.

Social media went ablaze in reaction to Freeman's historic, game-winning home run. Celebrities, sports stars and legends of the game all weighed in to congratulate him and express their awe at his clutch moment.

While most people were enjoying the wild moment from the comfort of their couches, others heard the news while in the midst of other activities.

Specifically, just across the city, NBA players participating in Friday's Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers watched the moment on replay on the arena's big screen. Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal happened to be mic'd up for ESPN at the time and they captured a diamond of reaction.

"Oh he spanked it for game, damn, Freddie Freeman, oooooh," Beal said in awe while on the bench during a stoppage.

Others who knew nothing about baseball are now enthralled by the sport in its biggest moment, like professional golfer Graeme McDowell who picked a great time to start watching.

On a slightly emotional note, one of Freeman's former teammates congratulated him on X as well. Chipper Jones, who played with Freeman from 2010-12, compared the epic moment to another famous World Series walk-off home run in Dodgers history.

The parallels to Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series are extremely eerie. But Dodgers fans can maybe take it as a sign that another championship pennant could be coming.

New York and Los Angeles will take the field for Game 2 on Saturday night before the series shifts East for Games 3-5.

Austen Bundy
Twitter/X

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.