The Braves are heading to the NLCS for the second consecutive season. A lot can be said about the perseverance of this squad coming back from the arms of defeat yet again, but it all comes down to the leader of the clubhouse.
Freddie Freeman was at the center of one of the biggest moments in Atlanta Braves history on Tuesday. When the Braves needed him most, he stepped to the plate and delivered the shot heard 'round the city.
In fact, that has been the story of his career in Atlanta. Through the highs and the lows, Freddie has been the rock this franchise was built upon. Jon Chuckery broke down how beloved Freddie has become to the city, and where he compares to other legends of Atlanta.
What’s hard to believe is that Freddie “wasn’t the guy” when he was coming up through the minor league system. An outfielder by the name of Jason Heyward stole that thunder. “I’m not sure that people looked at Freddie as the guy who would be one of the best first basemen of all time and one of the great Braves in history,” says Jon. “But what Freddie has done… he’s the best first baseman in baseball.”
Freddie has emerged as a cornerstone. The fact that he’s been here for it all - through the rebuild and now the success - endears him to this city.
There aren’t many who could be considered as “beloved” athletes in Atlanta, and a lack of championship pedigree certainly has something to do with that. Dominique Wilkins was the Human Highlight Film and Dale Murphy was a multi-year MVP. Neither were able to push their squads over the top.
Guys like Deion Sanders could be lumped into that category, maybe, but that just feels different. “Sure, he was drafted here,” says Jon. “But his success was from San Francisco and Dallas.”
“And that’s the difference with Chipper. He was here for their one championship and he was a cornerstone piece,” Jon said. “And that’s the one missing piece for Freddie Freeman.” There’s a certain reverence that people have when talking about Chipper. Yes, they adore Dale Murphy, but the championship matters.
So at the end of it all, is Freddie going to be remembered more as Dale Murphy or as Chipper Jones?