Ever since Freddie Freeman departed the Atlanta Braves for the rival Dodgers, the reception in the city he played in for 12 seasons continued to be rather warm. No matter how often he torched the Braves, and no matter how many signature moments he created for a rival, the reception continued to be welcoming whenever he returned to Truist Park.
Of course, up until Game 3 of the NLDS on Tuesday, all of those games Freeman played against his former team were during the regular season. When he faced off against the Braves for the first time in the postseason, the crowd's reaction changed, but Freeman did not at all seem fazed by the fans shift.
Freddie Freeman is embracing hostility in Braves Country these days
Before the former face of the franchise faced the Braves for the first time in the playoffs, there were questions on how Braves fans would react. Many wondered whether fans at Truist Park would finally shower the first baseman with boos.
Before the first pitch was even thrown, those fans answered, booing Freeman during the introductions. When he came to bat for the first time, those boos continues, and when he struck out in the first inning, the crowd gleefully cheered as he walked back to the dugout.
Unfortunately, Braves Country finally turning their backs on Freeman didn't seem to bother him. When he came up to bat in the third, he just missed a go-ahead two-run homer that was brought back on an exceptional play by Mauricio Dubón.
The following at bat, he rocketed a ball over the right field wall to cap off a three-run inning for Los Angeles in the fourth, and there was no remorse for crushing his former fanbase as he rounded the bases. Freeman barreled another ball in his following at bat, hitting a fly ball 396 feet, but thankfully hitting it right at Michael Harris II for an out.
After the game, Freeman said the boos didn't bother him and that he actually expected the boos. His cheery press conference was a stark difference from the first time he visited Truist Park as a road player, and it's safe to say the future Hall-of-Famer seems much more at peace being a villain to Braves fans than he once was.
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