Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
You may have noticed that the Los Angeles Dodgers players have been using a new celebration when they reach base recently.
Instead of waving their arms in the air as a nod to Freddie Freeman’s dancing, they have now been kicking their leg up high into the air. The players have not officially revealed what inspired it, but it seems to be related to a moment involving Dalton Rushing and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, according to Jack Harris of the California Post:
“So in this instance, I had seen a clip from the night before when Dalton Rushing strikes out to end the game, and he’s coming back into the dugout. Somehow his foot ends up, at least it seemed, concerningly close to Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s face. As Yamamoto is walking the one way through the dugout to go down the tunnel, and Rushing is coming back down the stairs. The dropkick celebration may or may not have been inspired by that moment. The couple players I asked about it were all very coy. They all had suspiciously similar responses about how they are just trying to kick away the negativity. But I will say is, as I talked to guys in the clubhouse about this the other night, it was laughter in every conversation where this came up.”
The Dodgers have been using their previous celebration for quite some time. It first began in 2023 after a viral clip of Freddie Freeman dancing during the Usher concert at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala.
Over time, it was slightly modified, with some players adding their own less-enthusiastic touches, but the core remained the same.
The kick brings on a fresh new celebration while the team struggles to find consistent offensive success. The irony of Rushing also being involved as the primary factor in it can’t be ignored, as he has made continuous headlines this season for some of his actions on and off the field.
Still, the Dodgers players continue to say it’s about kicking away the bad energy, and that mindset could bring success in itself, as baseball is such a mental game. That may be just what they need to get back on track.
Previous Dodgers celebrations
Other Dodgers hit celebrations over the past several seasons have included making a Mickey Mouse ears gesture, a bubble machine in the dugout and clubhouse, invoking a scene from “The Wolf of Wall Street,” a pepper grinder motion, water splashed on faces, and their dancing on the bases.
If you love our reporting, choose DodgerBlue.com as a preferred source on Google.