"October baseball can be brutal" - Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman reflects on quick playoff exit, says not winning World Series is disappointing
Los Angeles Dodgers player Freddie Freeman is still in disbelief after his side were eliminated from the National League Division Series.
The Dodgers racked up 111 wins in the regular season but were stunned by the San Diego Padres across four games to be knocked out. First baseman Freddie Freeman shared his thoughts after the shock exit, saying:
“If you don’t win the World Series, it’s just disappointment right now. This was a really good team — a really, really good team. October baseball can be brutal and it happened for us. We didn’t accomplish our goal. You know, there’s not really much more you can really say. You grind all year starting, all these guys in February and me in March. This team, we had one goal in mind and it didn’t happen. So, just a lot of disappointment."
The Dodgers were the number one seed and favorites to come out of the NL and be part of another World Series. After a 5-3 loss to the Padres at Petco Park on Saturday, the Dodgers were shockingly eliminated in the NLDS by a 3-1 result.
In the process, they became only the second team with more than 100 wins in the regular season and a World Series championship in the past three years to be eliminated.
Freddie Freeman reveals Mookie Betts' words of advice after signing for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Freeman spent 11 seasons with the Atlanta Braves before making a huge decision to take his talents to Los Angeles. The Braves and Freeman were unable to come to terms on a contract after their 2021 World Series win, causing Freeman to look elsewhere.
Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts was another who moved to the franchise in 2020 after winning the World Series with the Red Sox in 2018. In a new interview with the Athletic, he revealed what he told Freeman when he signed for the Dodgers. He said:
"Bro. I just went through the same situation. If you ever want to talk about it, I’m here.”
Both players were immensely instrumental in taking the team past the 100-win mark in the regular season. With a team filled with star power, the Dodgers were surely on the way to scripting more history, but the shocking elimination could see their futures up in the air ahead of the new season.