The Los Angeles Dodgers debuted a new celebration on Friday night against the Texas Rangers, and Freddie Freeman is reluctantly taking credit for it.
After doubling in the third inning of Friday’s game, Freeman was spotted doing a dance move toward the Dodger dugout, which responded in kind. Immediately, fans wanted to know what on earth that was and where it came from.
Freeman ties the game with a double and does a … dance (?) with the dugout. pic.twitter.com/B6vBg0l9zH
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 22, 2023
After the game, Freeman explained to Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA that the move was inspired by his dancing to Usher at the team’s Blue Diamond charity gala last month, and that Mookie Betts was largely to blame for it.
“I think everyone might have seen my dance moves at the gala. That kind of went around on the internet. My hands were up,” Freeman explained.
“So the boys have been wanting to do this for a while. It took an off-day and us all at (Max) Muncy’s last night having a good time for his daughter’s birthday party that we decided to implement it into the game. Of course I was the first one to have to do it, but we’re having fun with it. It’s my dance from the gala. That’s what we’re doing on extra-base hits now.”
“I didn’t do this. Mookie and all the boys wanted to do it, so here we are, dancing at second base.”
Freeman is definitely a bit sheepish, but his teammates seem to love it. It is also further evidence that he is feeling a lot more comfortable in his second season with the Dodgers.
