ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman claimed he didn’t hear the boos directed at him during his return to Atlanta on Tuesday night.
He had sort of anticipated the crowd’s reaction, so he managed to tune it out each time he went up to bat.
“I don’t really hear much out there,” the likely Hall of Famer stated after Game 3 of the National League Division Series. “It’s just noise, because it’s so loud.”
There’s certainly been a lot of chatter surrounding Freeman lately, especially with him facing off against his former Braves team.
From the outset of the week, Freeman played down the significance, not wanting to dwell on his past role in this best-of-five series.
It’s been five years since he left Atlanta for the Dodgers with a $162 million contract during the 2022 offseason. Interestingly, only four of his former teammates from the Braves’ 2021 World Series run remain with the team.
“I understand it will be a storyline, I get it,” Freeman mentioned to reporters before the NLDS kicked off. “But it is five years later. I’m not going to try and look at it any differently.”
Honestly, the biggest shift in this reunion seems to be how he was received by the crowd.
Normally, Freeman is met with cheers when he returns to Truist Park. During his first visit back in 2022, he was quite emotional while receiving his championship ring.
This time around, though, he faced boos during pregame introductions and whenever it was his turn to bat.
One particularly loud fan even started chanting “traitor!” from near the press box.
At 37, Freeman took it all in stride. “I’ve got a gray uniform on,” he said with a grin. “I expect boos. It’s OK.”
Despite the unwelcoming reception, he reminisced fondly about his time with the Braves.
“I’ve had wonderful experiences with the white uniform on here,” he reflected. “I loved every second of it.”
And yet, he also enjoyed how Tuesday’s game turned out, hitting his second home run of the series to silence the crowd and contribute to the Dodgers’ 3-1 win.
This win brought the Dodgers one step closer to the NL Championship Series, putting the Braves’ season in jeopardy.
“We’re trying to win the game. They want to win it for their team,” he remarked. “So it’s OK. It’s all love. I still love everybody here.”
When asked about the boos once more, he replied, “I would be surprised if they cheered me in October.”
