WATCH: Freddie Freeman's eerily similar grand slam celebration to Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run from 1988 World Series

Kirk Gibson and Freddie Freeman (Getty)
Kirk Gibson and Freddie Freeman (Getty)

In Game 1 of the 2024 World Series on Friday, with the Los Angeles Dodgers down 3-2 in extra innings with the bases loaded, Freddie Freeman hit the first-ever walk-off grand slam in Fall Classic history as LA beat the New York Yankees 6-3.

Apart from its historical significance, what's not lost through the sands of time was the eerie similarity of the moment to another classic World Series moment.

In Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, the Dodgers were trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth. Hall of Fame A's closer Dennis Eckersley was waiting on the mound for the next batter. To everyone's surprise, Dodgers manager and Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda inserted the injury-embattled Kirk Gibson to pinch hit.

With two outs and one runner on, Gibson hit the first walk-off home run in World Series history. He hobbled around the bases as the Dodgers won 5-4 and would eventually win the Fall Classic that season over the Athletics.

Here's the video of Gibson and Freeman's similar reactions 36 years apart:

What's uncanny about Kirk Gibson and Freddie Freeman's moments were the two players' parallel storylines leading up to the walk-off home runs. Both players were injured at the time of their historic feats.

Gibson injured both of his legs in the NLCS against the New York Mets. Freeeman, meanwhile, had a bad ankle that he injured in the last series of the regular season that would have put him on the shelf but instead chose to play through it. The pair also smashed the home runs within close proximity in right field at Dodger Stadium.

Fnally, both players also made a name for themselves and have won the World Series with their first major league team before signing with the Dodgers. Gibson spent almost a decade in the Motor City with the Tigers, winning the champsionship with the team in 1984.

Meanwhile, Freddie Freeman spent more than a decade with the Atlanta Braves and won the title in his last year in 2021.


Joe Davis pays tribute to Vin Scully with Freddie Freeman's walk-off slam

There's no better way to cap off a historical moment than paying tribute to the past. That's precisely what Los Angeles Dodgers play-by-play announcer Joe Davis did when Freddie Freeman smashed his historic walk-off grand slam to finish Game 1 of this year's World Series.

The moment had several parallels to the story of Kirk Gibson and Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, and the announcer didn't forget to channel the late great Vin Scully while making the historic call.

Upon the announcement of the legendary Vin Scully's retirement at the end of the 2016 season, Davis was named the successor to do play-by-play for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Edited by Bhargav
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