WEBVTT - Freddie Freeman (7-5-26) 

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<v Speaker 1>And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talk.

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<v Speaker 1>He keeps their heads ringing every year, and he's making

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<v Speaker 1>the All Star team again the tenth time in his

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<v Speaker 1>major league career. Freddie Freeman is going to be representing

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<v Speaker 1>the National League fifth time with the Dodgers, sixth time,

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<v Speaker 1>a starter and rightfully so, a great ambassador for the

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<v Speaker 1>game as well as being one of the great players

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<v Speaker 1>this game has ever seen. Freddie, thank you for the time.

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<v Speaker 1>Sorry for making you uncomfortable.

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<v Speaker 2>You certainly did, but I appreciate those words. Yeah, ten times,

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<v Speaker 2>pretty special. Looking forward to.

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<v Speaker 1>It, all right, So I don't know if you don't

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<v Speaker 1>listen to the show. So I'm going to fill you

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<v Speaker 1>in on what I'm calling you these days. Frisky Freddie,

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<v Speaker 1>the fountain of youth. Those legs have founded, Freddy.

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<v Speaker 2>Unfortunately it didn't work yesterday. I got thrown out at

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<v Speaker 2>home plate. But yeah, no, I feel good. I do

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<v Speaker 2>trying to stop the age curve. We've got a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of guys on our team, Max making the All Star

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<v Speaker 2>Game at thirty five plus years old. So you know,

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<v Speaker 2>all you can do is just try and stay healthy,

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<v Speaker 2>keep your body in shape and We're doing a good

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<v Speaker 2>job of that right.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, Freddie. I don't think people appreciate the fact how

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<v Speaker 1>much pain and limitations you were playing through last year.

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<v Speaker 1>Is this the best you've moved in a while because

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<v Speaker 1>of the lower half being healthy.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, definitely, pre surgery, for sure. Last year was a grind.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I was taping my ankle all the way

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<v Speaker 2>up until probably August. Just I was in a you know,

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<v Speaker 2>really confined to not being able to move at first base.

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<v Speaker 2>There's just a lot of limitations I had last year.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, I still feel like I put out some

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<v Speaker 2>decent numbers last year, but this year it's, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I can stick to my routine. I don't have to

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<v Speaker 2>worry about getting in the training room for hours and

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<v Speaker 2>on end just to get on the baseball field. It's

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<v Speaker 2>definitely a freeing feeling, and you know, it's obviously showing

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<v Speaker 2>I can stay on the field. Doc's not worrying about

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<v Speaker 2>having to sit me and take my get off my feet.

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<v Speaker 2>And just like right now, we're in the span of

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<v Speaker 2>thirteen games in a row and I'm probably gonna play

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<v Speaker 2>a thirteen, So I don't think that would have happened

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<v Speaker 2>last year. And but yeah, probably pre sarve you, this

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<v Speaker 2>is the best I felt.

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<v Speaker 1>How long would you have to get into the training room?

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<v Speaker 1>What time would you have to get to the stadium

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<v Speaker 1>for a seven to ten game.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I'd probably have to get there at like twelve

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<v Speaker 2>thirty and then it'd take probably two and a half

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<v Speaker 2>hours for me to get on the field. And that

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<v Speaker 2>was just last year when I first heard it. You

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<v Speaker 2>guys know, I was probably in the training room for

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<v Speaker 2>about five hours trying to get on the field in

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<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty four playoffs. So now I could just kind

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<v Speaker 2>of show up and just get myself ready for the games,

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<v Speaker 2>which is nice. But yeah, a lot of work and

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of thanks to the training staff, so much

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<v Speaker 2>time and effort. I know, you guys just see me,

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<v Speaker 2>but so much work goes behind the scenes of getting

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<v Speaker 2>us onto the field. So Bernard Lee, Thomas Albott, there's

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<v Speaker 2>so many guys that helped me get on the field

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<v Speaker 2>last year and kept me on the field, So big

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<v Speaker 2>credit to them.

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<v Speaker 1>Freddie, speaking of gratitude, from what I saw in the

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<v Speaker 1>video I heard yesterday, when Dave Roberts was going through

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<v Speaker 1>the announcements of All Stars, you stopped it and said Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>we got to thank the coaches because the coaches have

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<v Speaker 1>helped us all get better.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and that's one of the special things obviously when

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<v Speaker 2>you make it to the World Series, the coaching staff

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<v Speaker 2>and the manager gets to be the ULCER game manager

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<v Speaker 2>the next year, and coaching staff. So like I just

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<v Speaker 2>said about our training staff there. I mean, you see

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<v Speaker 2>right now as we're doing this interview, you have Edmund

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<v Speaker 2>is about to do live and Blakes now, and you

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<v Speaker 2>see seven different coaches out there working and training staff watching,

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<v Speaker 2>and there's just so many people behind the scenes that

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<v Speaker 2>make this engine to run. You know, it really is

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<v Speaker 2>a true team effort around here, and I just wanted to,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, make sure we stopped and thank Doc and

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<v Speaker 2>their staff, because I know everyone comes to see the players,

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<v Speaker 2>but there are so many people that help us get

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<v Speaker 2>on the field and get it and make us be

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<v Speaker 2>better at this game, and just wanted to make sure

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<v Speaker 2>we recognize them as well.

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<v Speaker 1>Freddy, You're one of those players that really stand out

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<v Speaker 1>to me that really embraces and understands what it means

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<v Speaker 1>to be an All Star. You want to be there,

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<v Speaker 1>you want to be part of everything. Where does that

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<v Speaker 1>come from to really appreciate still at this stage of

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<v Speaker 1>your career, ten years being an all start to love

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<v Speaker 1>it and treat it the way you did your first year.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean I always say maybe it's just kind

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<v Speaker 2>of how we came up seventeen years ago. Coming up

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<v Speaker 2>in the big leagues is a little different than coming

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<v Speaker 2>up now. I don't know. When you get voted in

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<v Speaker 2>by either your peers, the fans, the league, whoever votes

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<v Speaker 2>you in, it's truly an honor and you never know

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<v Speaker 2>when it could be your first, it could be your last,

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<v Speaker 2>it could be you just don't know if that's the

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<v Speaker 2>last All Star Game that you'll ever go to. So

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<v Speaker 2>I always try and you know, appreciate those moments. It's

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<v Speaker 2>such hard work that goes into it to make an

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<v Speaker 2>All Star Game, so I like to show up and

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<v Speaker 2>be there. And it also for me, it creates memories

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<v Speaker 2>with my family and those little things that are special

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<v Speaker 2>because you know, unfortunately I am coming toward the end

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<v Speaker 2>of my career. Hopefully it's a few more years down

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<v Speaker 2>the road, but it's just a little moments and little

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<v Speaker 2>memories that will have forever. And this game has given

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<v Speaker 2>so much to me, so the least I can do

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<v Speaker 2>is you know, give it, give myself back to the

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<v Speaker 2>game when when it calls me to do so.

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<v Speaker 1>Does Freddie Freeman allow himself to appreciate the moments more

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<v Speaker 1>now than he did even five years ago.

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<v Speaker 2>That's the thing. It's as you get older and I've

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<v Speaker 2>been blessed to play this game, but seventeen years now

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<v Speaker 2>in the big leagues, and as I've gotten older, you

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<v Speaker 2>start appreciating because you know it's going to be coming

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<v Speaker 2>to the end.

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<v Speaker 1>It never will Freddy stop saying that.

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<v Speaker 2>No, I mean you count it counted on one hand

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<v Speaker 2>now of the years that I'll that I'm going to

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<v Speaker 2>play left. So yeah, it's I'm trying to force myself

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<v Speaker 2>to stop and take a second and you know, take

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<v Speaker 2>in the little things. It's you know, like we're here

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<v Speaker 2>in July fifth and it's an absolutely gorgeous day and

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<v Speaker 2>you see the green grass in these seats and it's special.

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<v Speaker 2>So you just as you get older, you take it

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<v Speaker 2>in and really that all the hard work that you've

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<v Speaker 2>done since you know, since I was four or five

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<v Speaker 2>years old and playing and loving this game, and to

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<v Speaker 2>be recognized as one of the game's best, Yeah, I

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<v Speaker 2>take it in and try and for a second, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>realize how hard it is to do this game and

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<v Speaker 2>to accomplish and have success. And you know, we're doing

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<v Speaker 2>a great job so far trying to take in those

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<v Speaker 2>little moments. I guess that's just comes with age.

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<v Speaker 1>Freddie Freeman is our guest before I let you go.

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<v Speaker 1>Obviously a lot of great videos of Charlie meeting the

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<v Speaker 1>All Stars. You got the two little boys, you got

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<v Speaker 1>your baby girl coming with you to Philadelphia. Is there

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<v Speaker 1>any players that Charlie has latched onto that he wants

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<v Speaker 1>to meet with the National League All Stars? Have the

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<v Speaker 1>little boys start to latch onto other players.

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<v Speaker 2>So we're really into opening baseball cards now, so they

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<v Speaker 2>have their all three boys have their own binders. Charlie

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<v Speaker 2>has them by teams. He came yesterday and he started

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<v Speaker 2>getting the Dodger teams. I obviously he loves Show Hey,

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<v Speaker 2>so he's gonna get all the show show Hay cards sign.

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<v Speaker 2>But I think it's Jacob Mezerowski. He's really wanting to

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<v Speaker 2>get his Jacob Mezerowski cards signed. So I'll try and

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<v Speaker 2>make that wish come true in a week or so.

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<v Speaker 2>But they're just you know, Charlie loves everything about it.

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<v Speaker 2>He's already talking about getting all his cards signed, getting

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<v Speaker 2>his hat signed. He's oh, he has this King Griffy

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<v Speaker 2>Junior card and he wants because last year Ken Griffy

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<v Speaker 2>signed his hat, so he wants to get his card

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<v Speaker 2>signed this year. So those are the kind of cool

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<v Speaker 2>things that I love. And it helps him come out

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<v Speaker 2>of his shell, you know, like as a nine year

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<v Speaker 2>old to be forced to go up to say when

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<v Speaker 2>and I say, Hi, Ken, can I please get your autographs?

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<v Speaker 2>It's fun for me to see the joy in his

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<v Speaker 2>face to have to go up and do that kind

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<v Speaker 2>of stuff and him branch out and show his personality.

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<v Speaker 2>So I'm gonna have a blaster in the home run

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<v Speaker 2>derby because all three boys will be down there getting autographs,

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<v Speaker 2>running around. So it's gonna be a good time.

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<v Speaker 1>It's like the theme of Toy Story five. Stop looking

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<v Speaker 1>at the iPad, have some social interaction pretty much.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's a good force. You know, forced him to

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<v Speaker 2>get some autographs, and just like yesterday he was going

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<v Speaker 2>to just say, hey, can I have your autograph to

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<v Speaker 2>Paul Gervais because he pulled one of Paul's cards and

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<v Speaker 2>I said no, you have to say Hi, Paul, can

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<v Speaker 2>I please? And he was like, no, I can just

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<v Speaker 2>I said, no, Charlie, I won't let you ask him

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<v Speaker 2>unless you say his first name. So I just it's

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<v Speaker 2>a little teaching thing, and make sure you look him

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<v Speaker 2>in the eyes, and you know we're making him grow

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<v Speaker 2>as a nine year old.

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<v Speaker 1>Loved it, Freddie, how about the kids? They love the babblehead.

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<v Speaker 1>Tomorrow night's bibblehead night. What did they think about the

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<v Speaker 1>giant babblehead you were gifted?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I took home the giant bubblehead, so I facetimed

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<v Speaker 2>him when I first got the big bubblehead and they

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<v Speaker 2>didn't realize how big it was on FaceTime and then

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<v Speaker 2>went after the game yesterday, Max's eyes were just so

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<v Speaker 2>big and so shocked of how big that thing is.

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<v Speaker 2>But no, it's pretty cool. So I'm trying to get

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<v Speaker 2>a couple more. I know they're coming out to the fans,

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<v Speaker 2>so maybe I'm gonna have to send some people into

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<v Speaker 2>the lines to try and get me into a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of big, big ones again, because one with three boys

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<v Speaker 2>is it enough. But it's pretty cool. I've never seen

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<v Speaker 2>a big one before or credit to the Dodgers and

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<v Speaker 2>doing something different. That's pretty cool. My kids loved it.

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<v Speaker 1>My vision for the Freeman family. Dad to Dad, it's

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<v Speaker 1>kind of like Elf on the shelf, Dad's biblehead on

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<v Speaker 1>the shelf. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, it's in the downstairs right now. I don't know

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<v Speaker 2>if Max was kind of looking at it all weird

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<v Speaker 2>because it was so big, and so I didn't want

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<v Speaker 2>him to get scared. So it's kind of in the

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<v Speaker 2>corner of the downstairs area. So we'll see if Charlie

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<v Speaker 2>brings it into his room or not.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, Tomorrow night is Bobblehead Night, the eighteen inning walk

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<v Speaker 1>off home run for Freddie Freeman. Come out tickets are

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<v Speaker 1>available on a great Monday night at Dodgers Stadium. Freddie,

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<v Speaker 1>thanks a lot for the time. Congratulations on being named

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<v Speaker 1>a Starter. You deserve it. That just shows you how

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<v Speaker 1>much the fans still love and appreciate everything you do

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<v Speaker 1>which you represent, and we can't wait to see you

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<v Speaker 1>in the City of brotherly Love.

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<v Speaker 2>I can't wait. Thank you David very much. Thank you

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<v Speaker 2>fans for voting for me.