Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
Among the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrations that have captivated players and fans alike is the Freddie Freeman dance, which teammates came together on during a July road trip.
It spawned from Freeman’s dancing at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala during Usher’s concert. Video went viral of Freeman stretching both arms into the air and swaying his hips from side to side.
The Dodgers adopted that as a celebration whenever a player collects an extra-base hit.
“I wouldn’t even call it a dance,” manager Dave Roberts joked at the 2023 Dodgers All-Access event. “I mean, he’s on second base and it’s like a bad hula hoop effort. He does this thing and everyone is on the top of the dugout doing this dance.
“I have no idea what is happening. I’m just happy he’s on second base. I think for me, you’ve got to let these guys be themselves and have fun with it, but you won’t be seeing me doing that movement. Coaches are exempt.”
When asked who he believed was worst on the team at dancing, Roberts named Freeman.
“I’m just grateful we’ve got Kiké (Hernández) back, Amed (Rosario) here. They’ve got a little rhythm,” Roberts added. “They do it to the bullpen, and it’s Yency (Almonte) and Brusdar (Graterol).
“But it’s good that Freddie’s doing it because it means he’s on second base. But man, it’s painful. Hopefully his wife is letting him know how bad this looks.”
Will Dave Roberts do the Freddie Freeman dance?
While Roberts took a hard stance against doing the dance himself, he’s since relented some as Freeman continued to collect doubles on a seemingly nightly basis.
“I don’t know what the record is, but if he gets the record, I’ll be on record and do the Freddie Dance,” Roberts said.
Freeman went on to set a new Dodgers franchise record for most doubles, but Roberts had a higher bar in mind.
Joe Medwick holds the National League record of 64 doubles, which he set in 1936 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. The MLB record for most doubles in a single season belongs to Earl Webb, who had 67 as a member of the 1931 Boston Red Sox.
Freeman’s pace cooled off a bit over recent weeks but he still has an impressive 59 doubles with two games remaining to reach 60, which Roberts conceded would be enough for him to dance.
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