November 6th, 2018 at 8:31 am 
by Ron Cervenka As Dodger fans, at some point we are going to have to come to grips with how the 2018 World Series ended, just as we had to following the 2017 World Series. When we do, and once we get past the pain and suffering (as best as we can, that is), we are going to notice one very significant thing: Even at 35 years old, Dodgers utility infielder David Freese had a really good postseason, especially during the World Series.
Although it took all five games, Freese came within a double of hitting for the cycle during the 2018 World Series.
(Click on image to enlarge … if you dare)
Freese, along with Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, were the only Dodgers to hit above .300 in the Fall Classic, and only Freese above .400, while in the other dugout, the Boston Red Sox had four guys hit above .300 and one right at .500 (back-up catcher Sandy Leon, who went 3-for-6 with a double). In other words, it’s no mystery why Dodger fans walked out of Dodger Stadium following the heartbreaking Game-5 (and final) loss with nothing else left to say but “Wait till next year” … again.
Four days after that devastating four-games-to one World Series loss, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman summed it up best during his season-in-review press conference in a packed Dodger Stadium interview room.
“The quality of at-bat we had last October felt like a much higher quality than this October,” Friedman told reporters in an effort to describe what went wrong. “You’re always facing great pitching in October.
“Our relievers were why we won the division series and the championship series,” Friedman added “We struggled in the World Series. But, getting back to our offense, we had zero margin for error. That magnified it, as opposed to being able to tack on runs.”
Ya think?
But through it all and in spite of (yet again) coming up short, David Freese prevailed. As such, it came as good news for Dodger fans when, one day later, the Dodgers bought out Freese’s $500,000 option for 2019 and signed him to a one-year / $4.5 million contract (plus the $500 K) to make it a cool $5 million.
In addition to hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning of Game-5 of the 2018 World Series, 10-year MLB veteran David Freese also hit a one out triple in the third inning. Unfortunately, and right in line with Friedman’s comments, he was left stranded on third. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
But aside from the money and in addition to the excitement of Dodger fans that the former 2011 NLCS and World Series MVP (with the St. Louis Cardinals) will be returning next season, there is another group of folks pretty happy that Freese will be in Dodger Blue again next season, especially with unofficial team captain and veteran inspirational leader Chase Utley retiring – the Dodgers themselves.
“His pedigree is off the charts in our clubhouse,” Turner recently told Derrick Goold, who was covering the World Series for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s probably been in and done it better than anyone else we have. Seeing the connection he’s made with the younger guys has been incredible. They flock to him. They’re always around him. And he has, I think, a huge influence.”
Although 24-year-old lifelong Dodger fan Tim Cervenka had hoped for a better outcome in Game-5 and the entire 2018 World Series, catching the second-inning and eventual game-winning home run ball hit by Red Sox first baseman and eventual World Series MVP Steve Pearce was about the only good thing to come out of this year’s Fall Classic. (Photo courtesy of Tim Cervenka)
It’s not much, Dodger fans, but Freese returning for the 2019 season and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw returning through the 2021 season takes the sting out of losing two straight World Series.
…but only a tiny bit.
Play Ball!
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It looks like Freese will be a perfect replacement for Utley.
What??? I would have thought 24-year-old lifelong Dodger fan Tim Cervenka would have immediately thrown that ball right back into the field!!
Just kidding, I’d NEVER throw one back. Oh course, been to over 100 MLB games and never even come close to getting one.
Freese is nice, but not a savior. I’d much rather see F&Z sign Machado to a discounted contract because of his poor post-season.
Nobody has mentioned that Turner Ward has signed on to be the Cincinnati Reds hitting coach. I didn’t see this one coming. Thoughts?
Signing Freese as a 1b platoon partner with Muncy, backup third baseman, and veteran pinch hitter for $5MM (including buyout) does not impede Dodgers from signing Machado. Toward the end of the season I commented that I thought there would be some changes amongst coaches (Woodward for example) and thought that Ward could be on the bubble considering the Dodgers poor hitting with RISP and situational hitting. I think there could be more changes coming after Roberts signs an extension.
Hello SoCal! pauldodgerfan1965 here. I do concur here and Freese is a great sign. As for Ward, besides now being closer to home and familiar with David Bell, I truly believe the Dodger’s obsessive analytic platooning philosophy kind of drove him away too. The hitters he worked with, often remained inconsistent offensively all year long as a result of being in and out of the lineup on a daily basis, especially for the known starting players. just a thought here.
You’d never get him to admit it, but I believe that F&Z’s (and now apparently only F’s) anal-ytics is why Utley left and more than likely will never be a Dodgers coach under the current regime.
Surprising comment regarding Utley “…never be a Dodgers coach under the current regime” considering that he signed with Dodgers 3 times as a FA and the last contract was quoted “Early on I let the Dodgers know that I would like to continue to play, and staying in LA would be my first choice.”
Too bad the wrong coaches are leaving instead of the one that should. I’m surprised Honeycutt is apparently staying; thought he was gone after this past season, which was why they hired Mark Prior in anticipation.
Who will Puig kiss now that Turner Ward is gone? I bet the guys who are staying are just dying to find out –or running away when they see him coming.
He’s probably just hoping for a prettier hitting coach.