6ix Baggers — №74: The Freddie Freeman Show
The Yankees get one back to make the series 3-1 as Freddie Freeman breaks a record and we contemplate eating oysters in the stands, neck tattoos and Seinfeld references.
Dear Drink Carters and Secret 6ix Baggers Baseball Appreciators
It felt like just a few moments after Scarlett Johansson narrated the Game 4 intro, and The Freddie Freeman Show started. The New York Yankees have waken up in city that doesn’t sleep and It felt like Freddie Freeman was the new mayor. During the top of the first inning, Freddie Freeman set the record for most consecutive games of the World Series with a Home Run at 6.
For the second game in a row, his home run sucked the collective New York-ness out of Yankee Stadium. The fans were right to ask him to “please stop.” That was before Mookie Betts literally fought with a fan for the ball after catching a Gleyber Torres ball in the outfield. I liked this thought, imagine spending $2,000 just to get kicked out in the first inning.
But we interrupt the Freddie Freeman Show with breaking news from The New York Yankees. They’re alive. What’s amazing about baseball, is that things don’t go according to plans or scripts. As soon as I saved that image above and loaded it in, I knew that the Yankees would even that up.
It’s now Freeman 4, Yankees 6 in terms of homers in this series. Let’s not forget that in the World Series the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to go with another “bullpen day” - meaning no starting pitcher. Bullpen days are the absolute worst. Anthony Volpe - the player who was at the last Yankee World Series as a fan - capitalized on that fact and some walks and a hit by pitch to then launch a season saving grand slam to take a lead 5-2.
Other storylines featured Yankee catcher Austin Wells. He had gone 4 for 43 in the post season and was on an all-time frosty slump to hit the ball out of the park in the 6th inning to make it 6-4 with a pretty sweet lookig bat flip too. Wells looks very similar to famed Yankee catcher Thurman Munson. While I do not approve of the Yankees and I will root for all teams over them until the end of time, the 1971 Thurman Munson Topps card is still a beautiful sight and one of my favourite in my collection.
You can actually hear that Frank Sinatra start to swell at this point.
The Yankees came alive even more in the 8th with a Torres homer. The bottom of the order got a lot of it done, but even Aaron Judge got a base hit and an RBI. I want to be very clear, the highlight for me was a bottom of seven sneaky hot dog and not the Yankees being let off the mat. It was nice to see former Jay Tim Mayza pitch a clean top of the 9th to close it out and force a Game 5. Just like Freeman’s record, Volpe is the first player with 4+ RBI, and 2+ SB in a World Series. Stats are just amazing.
Will this be the start of an epic 0-3 comeback? Or just a blip for the Dodgers. All I know is, we get more baseball. And guess what, you’ve just unlocked at least one more 6ix Baggers for this short run newsletter season.
Last word: I’m watching the after show on Fox featuring Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and David Ortiz. Having two former Yankee players do the wrap up is exactly the same problem news media has right now. It’s so incredibly biased.
One never knows how the gastrointestinal workings of the equine are going to function.
People ask, isn’t baseball super boring? Excuse me! You only have to answer during World Series with the satisfying knowledge that there are ridiculous stats like this. 2024 is only the second World Series where both teams have hit grand slams. You can follow that up with this detail. It was back 1964. The Cardinals got one from Ken Boyer in Game 4 and the Yankees got there’s from Joe Pepitone in game 6. Pepitone it is worth noting was “best remembered for his hair and his high jinks.” But he was also named-checked on Seinfeld.
In one post I was reading, they comically talked about Joe Pepitone designing Central Park in season 7. Of course that was just Kramer talking crazy during his Horse Drawn Cab era. Kramer had already plunked Pepitone with a fastball and punched Mickey Mantle in season 4.
A Triple Play of Ohtani Ads
I promised you some advertising nuggets in this sub-newsletter. It’s fascinating to see Ohtani with a hurt shoulder still in this thing, so we’re all in on Ohtani. The New Balance ad they have running during the games this week are just super fun, high energy vibes spots. Love the style and energy here.
Next up was this fun New Balance ad for when Shohei became the only member of the 50/50 club this season. I’m a sucker for a good high-end hotel and old-timey keys. They packed a lot of storytelling in these little 15 second spots.
And lastly, had to share one from Japan which I hadn’t clocked before. This is a Dunlop ad featuring Shohei and Babe Ruth. Here’s the long version.
The Fine Art of Subtle Neck Tattoos
This Yankee starter for Game 4, Luis Gil. His neck tattoo - while not as bad a No Ragrets - is a wild one. I thought there would be more to the story than is found in this Athletic story than “It’s just a message for God to protect me.”
I’ve heard that baseball players with neck tats are the top of the list for God’s work. I mean I guess it’s not as smug as having a tattoo of yourself on your body.
What crosses the line for stadium foods?
Would you have Oysters served in the stands of a game? At the Allegiant Stadium - where the Raiders play in Las Vegas - they have Oysters Hawaii serving up mobile oysters. Is this even street legal? Proceed with caution.
Walkoffs
A few more quick fastballs for you to enjoy.
World Series Prints
Absolutely gorgeous art prints from Pillbox Bat Co. x "Baseball's Finest" For the Yankees and the Dodgers.
Old time baseball
Remembering another bit of fan interference. The October 14, 2003 Steve Bartman Incident in Wrigley Field during game 6 of the NLCS.
Fan obsessions
I loved seeing this ad to get your seat from the original Yankee Stadium - and your 5 empty Winston cigarette crush proof boxes. And this story about this ad from Mike Vaccaro.
Until Game 5
Don’t look now, I guess we’re going to 5.