Following the Los Angeles Dodgers' Game 3 victory against the Atlanta Braves, Freddie Freeman expressed surprise and admiration for Justin Verlander, who conducted an interview with the first baseman after the game.
Verlander, a future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young Award winner, was part of the MLB on FOX broadcast crew for the National League Division Series. The broadcast featured a collection of esteemed analysts, including Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, and Dontrelle Willis, collectively boasting 50 All-Star selections.
The game itself saw Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound for the Dodgers against Chris Sale of the Braves. The Dodgers took the lead in the third inning with a two-run home run from Kike Hernández, followed by a solo shot from Freeman off Sale. Yamamoto pitched seven innings, allowing one run while striking out 10 batters to secure the win.
After the game, Freeman joined the broadcast team and was taken aback when Verlander prepared to ask him a question. "Hold on, ‘J,’" Freeman said, addressing Verlander. "Congratulations, that was so awesome to watch in that final start. Congratulations on the Hall-of-Fame career. Miss you and congrats."
Freeman was referring to Verlander's final career start on September 27, where he pitched five innings and gave up two runs. It was during this start that his manager, A.J. Hinch, came to remove him from the game, only for Verlander's daughter to reach the mound first. Nine days later, Verlander was analyzing the MLB postseason.
Verlander's question to Freeman pertained to a previous at-bat from early September, where Freeman had a base hit against Sale. Verlander asked, "Does that give you more confidence going into the game that that happened six weeks ago?"
Freeman responded by highlighting Sale's status as a Hall of Fame-caliber pitcher and one of the best in the game. "You're just really just trying to hope he makes a mistake, and you're on time for it," Freeman said. "Really, it's an extremely hard at-bat for a lefty. Like I always say, against him, you got to be prepared to die. That's the mindset. If you pull off of him, you got no chance, and he's throwing behind you. So, if he hits you in the ear, you got to be OK with it. So, that's kind of my mentality, and, you know, I was thankfully able to get a good swing on the ball."
Verlander, reflecting on his decision to retire, stated that the realization came early in the season. "It was pretty easy," Verlander said. "I made my first start of the season and my leg started hurting. I’ve said my entire career, man, I love this game. I love giving it everything I got. I’m going to play until the wheels fall off. The arm held out great, but the leg gave out on me."
Over his 21-year MLB career, Verlander amassed two World Series titles in addition to his individual accolades. However, he expressed that he is most proud of his longevity and consistency. "I'm most proud of the volume," Verlander said, noting his 557 career starts, 3,576 2/3 innings pitched, and 3,560 strikeouts. "I really pride myself on taking the ball and just being out there for as many pitches as the game would allow. When I look back, I always said that if I’m out there for every start, the numbers fall where they may, but [at least] I’m doing my job."