Gibby meets Freddie ... this time at the mound for poignant first pitch
This browser does not support the video element.
LOS ANGELES -- Kirk Gibson and Freddie Freeman are now forever connected in Dodgers lore, with the two delivering legendary walk-off homers -- on one leg -- in World Series openers more than 30 years apart.
Ahead of Thursday's domestic opener at Dodger Stadium, the two connected once more -- literally, this time -- for a special ceremonial first pitch.
The Dodgers celebrated their World Series championship during a pregame ceremony, with rapper Ice Cube delivering the trophy to the field before the team raised the World Series banner in center field and unveiled the latest title sign alongside the others down the right-field line.
This browser does not support the video element.
To cap off the festivities, SportsNet L.A. and FOX play-by-play voice Joe Davis brought Freeman and his family out to the field to relive one of the most special moments of the 2024 postseason run: Freeman's walk-off grand slam -- the first in World Series history -- to beat the Yankees in Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
This browser does not support the video element.
Freeman had been playing through a badly injured right ankle through the playoffs, to the point where he needed to sit out a handful of games in the earlier rounds. He was feeling much better in the World Series, although he had no need to test the ankle when he left the yard.
Davis, who was on the call for FOX, remarked, "Gibby, meet Freddie!" He wasn't the only one to notice the parallels. Gibson, who walked off the A's en route to the Dodgers' sixth championship in 1988, was also badly hobbled, with his pinch-hit homer marking his only plate appearance that World Series.
On Thursday, at Dodger Stadium with Freeman, Davis helped bring everything full circle.
"Gibby!" he said, echoing his now-iconic call. "Meet Freddie."
Gibson, who's currently a special assistant in the Tigers' organization and spent the past 10 years as part of their broadcast team, walked out to the field clad in the same special gold jerseys the Dodgers were wearing to celebrate their 2024 championship. He embraced Freeman and greeted the entire family before heading toward the mound, with Freeman taking his place behind the plate.
Gibson let the ball fly, and Freeman came up with it, grinning broadly. For all the memories that their individual moments created, they got to share in something special that was uniquely theirs together.