NEW YORK – The way that Freddie Freeman sees it, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be in the lineup every game at this stage of his career if he’s fortunate enough to stay healthy.
And so he has.
The Braves first baseman has not only started all of the team’s 133 games this season, he also played a majors-leading 1,190 of the team’s 1,192 innings before Wednesday. Giants outfielder Hunter Pence was the only other major leaguer who had started every game this season, and Pence was second with 1,175 innings played.
“I play first base, I’m 24 years old, I’m supposed to play every day,” Freeman said Wednesday on his way to the field for batting practice at Citi Field. “I take a lot of pride in that I’m healthy this year. Unfortunately I did miss those two innings, but I think we had a three- or four-run lead in the top of the eighth, and I had a day game the next day, so I needed to get some ice on that.
“But I do take a lot of pride in playing every game.”
Freeman came out of a June 25 game at Houston after being hit on the tip of his right elbow by a fastball thrown by left-hander Darin Downs in the eighth inning. He was correct about the score – the Braves scored a run in the eighth and led 4-0, which held up.
He was back in the lineup the next afternoon for the series finale, and for every inning since, with no intention of taking a break between now and the end of the season. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has no plans to rest the big left-hander.
“We’ve never talked about it,” Gonzalez said. “It’s something that’s a badge of honor for him, and I’m OK with it. He wants to play. You’ve got to want guys that want to play. And for many years here, Andruw Jones, Chipper (Jones) – there was something to be said about that.
“Now, if we see something where he’s struggling or he’s got a little something (injury) going on, we’ll make an adjustment.”
Freeman, 24, signed an eight-year, $135 million contract that was easily the largest in franchise history, surpassing the six-year, $90 million extension the Braves gave Chipper Jones before the 2001 season. Freeman was coming off a star-making performance in his third full season in 2013, when he was fifth in the National League MVP balloting after batting .319 with a .396 on-base percentage, a .501 slugging percentage, 23 homers and 109 RBIs — the Braves’ first 100-RBI man since Chipper Jones and Jeff Francoeur in 2007.
He’s got his money, and Freeman plans to do all he can to keep earning it. The Braves had slipped to 7 ½ games behind NL East leader Washington before Wednesday and were tied with Pittsburgh in the wild-card standings, 1 ½ games behind San Francisco for the second of two available wild-card berths.
“We’ve only got 30 games left,” he said, “and I want to be in there every day to impact and helps this team win games. I want to be out there every time and I want to be in that 3-hole,” Freeman said. “I want to be that guy where Fredi can come to the field every day and be that guy where he can know, he’s batting third and playing every single game. That’s what I want and I’ve done that this year.
“I think Chipper took a lot of pride in wanting to play every day, even though at the end of his career he had knee problems. He wanted to be out there every day; I think every player wants to be out there every day. This is our job.”
In a seven-season span from his age-24 through age-30 seasons, Jones played between 156 and 160 regular-season games every year, including 158 or more three times.
Freeman played 157 games as a rookie, then was limited to 147 games each of the past two seasons, in part due to recurring problems with a dry-eye condition. He’s got that straightened out now and wants to take advantage of his good health by playing as much as possible.
Although some of his stats are down some since last season, Freeman was still batting .292 with a career-best 36 doubles, 57 extra-base hits (one shy of his career high), 17 home runs and 68 RBIs, with a .386 OBP, .480 slugging percentage and .866 OPS that ranked eighth in the NL.
After seeing his batting average, OBP and slugging percentage each drop for three consecutive months through July, Freeman in August had season-highs in batting average (.341) and OBP (.456) before Wednesday, and a .506 slugging percentage that was his highest since April (.594).
“Hopefully this isn’t just a one-year wonder,” he said of playing every day. “I’ve still got 30 games left, so hopefully I can stay healthy in that time. But next year hopefully we’re having the same conversation and I’m playing every single game. That’s what I want to do multiple times, not just one year.”
