Sports
Freddie Freeman crafted his swing with help from father of another Dodgers star
Throughout his childhood in Orange County, when the long run Nationwide League MVP was only a budding younger participant with a uncooked left-handed swing, there have been solely two individuals who ever gave Freddie Freeman hitting classes.
One was his dad, Fred.
The opposite was the daddy of then-Dodgers star Shawn Inexperienced.
Whereas Shawn was slugging residence runs at Chavez Ravine within the early 2000s, his dad, Ira, was serving to domesticate the Dodgers’ future first baseman a brief drive away, mentoring Freeman with weekly hitting classes by way of his Little League and center college years at an tutorial coaching academy in Santa Ana.
It’s the place Freeman matured as a younger hitter, the place he unleashed his opposite-field energy and crafted his constant stroke on the plate.
As he regarded again twenty years later, forward of his first residence sport with the Dodgers this week, Freeman couldn’t overstate the influence Ira — and Shawn — made on his early profession.
“You get to work with a man who is aware of as a lot hitting as he did, and … who knew easy methods to educate their son to change into an enormous leaguer,” Freeman mentioned, “it was particular.”
When Fred first introduced Freeman to Ira’s academy, the 12-year-old was already a transparent expertise. He had a protracted, athletic body. He had pure pop on the plate. Ira had already heard about Freeman, who was a Little League legend within the Orange County baseball group.
“It was fairly apparent he was an excellent participant,” Ira mentioned. “You might see he was particular.”
However Freeman wanted steerage, nonetheless rising into his physique as he progressed by way of center college.
Freeman labored out with Ira as soon as per week. Ira put him by way of tee work, delicate toss and hitting periods off pitching machines. He had him do one-handed drills and concentrate on an opposite-field strategy. He filmed a lot of Freeman’s reps too, reviewing the tape with Freeman later as they dissected his progress.
Freeman would take the guidelines residence to work on along with his dad, then return seven days later for extra.
“He was very receptive to instruction,” Ira mentioned. “He wished to be taught.”
Former Dodgers slugger Shawn Inexperienced throws the primary pitch earlier than Recreation 4 of the Nationwide League Championship Sequence on Oct. 16, 2018.
(Matt Slocum / Related Press)
There have been parallels to Ira’s expertise teaching his personal son, one other tall, left-handed slugger who went on to a 15-year main league profession, together with 5 memorable seasons with the Dodgers between 2000 and 2004.
Ira solely received into teaching when Shawn was 9, constructing a batting cage within the facet yard at their residence. Shawn remembers his dad devouring books about hitting by Corridor of Famer Ted Williams and legendary hitting coach Charlie Lau, creating a “hitting bug” that benefited Shawn’s early improvement.
“It was a win-win,” Shawn mentioned. “I received to spend time with him, received instruction and received higher and higher.”
Ira didn’t cease teaching as soon as Shawn’s skilled profession took off. As a substitute, he opened his coaching heart, known as the Baseball Academy, in 1995. It was a modest place, a six-cage facility in a strip mall off the 55 Freeway subsequent to a golf store and a hockey gear retailer.
Positioned only a 15-minute drive from Angel Stadium, it turned a frequent offseason coaching spot for such massive leaguers as Jim Edmonds, Garret Anderson and Darin Erstad every winter. Shawn, after all, was additionally an everyday.
“Lots of people bounced out and in of that place,” Shawn mentioned, “again when it was sort of the point of interest for coaching in Orange County for baseball.”
Freeman relished the setting.
Like the opposite younger college students who educated there, he would rush to the 60-mph batting cage at any time when the professional hitters have been round — the massive leaguers all the time used the slower machine, Ira mentioned, as a result of it was the closest factor to batting observe pace — to stay 1 / 4 on the skin of the cage arcade-style, reserving his spot in line for once they completed.
Someday, Shawn caught round to observe the children take swings. Freeman’s clean movement instantly caught out.
“He instructed Freddie, ‘You’ve received an ideal swing,’ ” Fred recalled. “Since then, Freddie was a Shawn Inexperienced fan.”
Shawn and Ira turned followers of Freeman’s too, intently following his progress even after he stopped coaching with Ira in highschool.
Ira would watch a few of Freeman’s prep video games at Orange El Modena, sitting in stands full of scouts.
Shawn stored tabs on Freeman’s minor league profession after he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves within the second spherical in 2007.
“I believe Freddie had the benefit of all of the issues, proper and mistaken, my dad discovered working with me,” Shawn mentioned. “He was in a position to move on most likely a good higher model of his instruction to Freddie.”
In early 2009, Ira and Shawn labored with Freeman another time.
A number of weeks earlier than spring coaching that 12 months, Ira received a name from Fred. Freeman was coming off a powerful 2008 season in single A however was struggling to rediscover consolation along with his swing forward of the brand new season. Fred requested Ira whether or not he might come have a look, and Ira introduced alongside Shawn (who had not too long ago retired from the key leagues) to assist out.
“It was like, nearly a panic,” Ira recalled. “He simply didn’t really feel proper.”
Ira recommended just a few tweaks, specializing in the separation of Freeman’s higher and decrease halves. A number of days later, Freeman began feeling assured once more — the scholar and teacher falling proper again into their previous rhythm.
“It was simply seeing him and hitting and speaking baseball,” Freeman mentioned. “I received fortunate getting classes from him.”
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Tensions were high in the early going between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream Thursday night.
The two teams were 48 hours removed from a battle that came down to the final seconds, which the Dream won, 91-90. So, maybe there was some carryover.
With less than 30 seconds to go in the first quarter, Caitlin Clark and Rhyne Howard exchanged some words and had to be separated. Howard was playing full-court defense on Clark, who was dribbling up the court.
Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard (10) argues with Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the first half at State Farm Arena. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
Refs whistled the play, and the two bumped into one another. Both appeared to extend an arm, and Clark began to walk away from the situation before Howard took a step forward. But one of Howard’s teammates quickly stepped in and led Howard away.
“I’m not scared of you,” Clark appeared to say, and she was backed by her teammates.
Despite the tense moment Thursday, they shared a funny one earlier this month in the preseason, when Howard jokingly picked at Clark’s ear after their exhibition, prompting a laugh from Clark.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark talks to a referee during a game against the Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
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It was a slow night overall for Clark, who had just six points heading into the fourth quarter. She had 27 points two nights earlier against Atlanta.
Indiana trailed, 75-71, with just over two minutes to go, but it ended the game on a 10-1 run. Clark added five points in the fourth quarter to finish with 11.
Clark’s teammate, Natasha Howard, led the way with 26 points, while Rhyne Howard dropped 24.
The scuffle between Clark and Howard came five days after Clark and Angel Reese had to be separated. Clark was called for a flagrant foul on Reese, who then had words for Clark.
The incident prompted an investigation into alleged hateful comments toward Reese by fans at the game. Reese reposted a TikTok that said she is “unsafe” playing in Indiana.
Caitlin Clark, right, of the Indiana Fever yells at Rhyne Howard (10) of the Atlanta Dream after an altercation during the first quarter at State Farm Arena May 22, 2025, in Atlanta. (Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
The Fever are back in action Saturday against the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty in Indianapolis at 1 p.m. ET.
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SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
THURSDAY’S RESULTS
QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 6
Ramona Convent 2, Pasadena Poly 0
DIVISION 7
Culver City 12, Silverado 1 (five innings)
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)
SEMIFINALS
DIVISION 1
Norco at Ayala
El Modena at Temescal Canyon
DIVISION 2
JSerra at Great Oak
Santa Margarita at Los Alamitos
DIVISION 3
Marina at Yorba Linda
Westlake at Kennedy
DIVISION 4
Long Beach Poly at Harvard-Westlake
Warren at El Toro
DIVISION 5
St. Bonaventure at Riverside North
West Ranch at Cerritos
DIVISION 6
Ramona Convent at University
Rio Hondo Prep at Adelanto
DIVISION 7
Rancho Mirage at Westminster
Culver City at Riverside Notre Dame
DIVISION 8
Cathedral City at Lennox Academy
Hueneme at Calvary Baptist
Note: Finals (all divisions) May 30-31 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, Irvine.
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The sports world was rocked by the death of legendary Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay on Wednesday.
The news struck especially hard for many of Irsay’s former Colts players, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.
Manning, who played his first 13 seasons for the Colts and helped them win the Super Bowl in the 2006 season, shared his respect for Irsay in an Instagram post Wednesday night.
“I am heartbroken to hear about Jim Irsay’s passing. He was an incredibly generous and passionate owner and I will always be indebted to him for giving me my start in the NFL. His love for the Colts and the city of Indy was unmatched. His impact on the players who played for him will not be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and everyone in the Colts community. He will be missed. Jim, rest in peace my friend,” Manning wrote.
Many of Manning’s old Indianapolis teammates expressed their condolences too.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, #10, calls out at the line of scrimmage during an AFC wild card game in the NFL football playoffs against the New York Jets in Indianapolis. (AP)
Former Colts punter and current ESPN host Pat McAfee shared a long story in an X post on Wednesday, detailing his experience with Irsay throughout the punter’s career.
“The 1st time he and I really had an extended convo was at training camp after the lockout in 2011.. players and front office weren’t allowed to communicate with each other during the lockout but, Jim followed me on Twitter throughout the CBA negotiations, his first day at training camp, immediately after the lockout ended, he drove his golf cart over to where I was and started firing off questions about Twitter.. He enjoyed the thought of being able to connect with Colts fans all over the world,” McAfee wrote.
McAfee even credited Irsay for helping the punter succeed in his post-NFL career.
“When I decided to retire.. he and I had a 2.5 hour conversation in his office. He was sitting at his desk.. hitting the s— out of his vape .. and we talked about everything I was hoping to go do. He tried to stop me for a few minutes.. even offered to renegotiate my contract.. and then once he realized my decision was made.. the convo turned into him trying to give me as much game as possible about running a business and maintaining authenticity,” McAfee added.
“Jim has done everything he can to help me succeed.. He’d join our show anytime I asked, no matter where he was in the world.. He’d send me motivational messages when he heard I was going thru something.. he’d forward articles that he’d come across that he thought I should read.”
JALEN HURTS MAINTAINS HE ‘WASN’T AVAILABLE’ FOR EAGLES’ WHITE HOUSE VISIT
Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, speaks to the fans at Reggie Wayne’s induction into the Ring of Honor at Lucas Oil Stadium on Nov. 18, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Legendary NFL kicker Adam Viniatieri expressed his condolences to Irsay in an X post. Viniatieri cemented his legacy by helping the New England Patriots win three Super Bowls from 2001-2005, often beating the Colts on the way there. However, when Irsay’s team signed the kicker in 2006, it immidietly helped change the fortunes of both teams, as Viniatieri kicked the game-winning field goal against the Patriots in that year’s AFC championship game to send the Colts to the Super Bowl.
“I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Jim Irsay. He was more than just an owner, he as a man of the people and his generosity was unmatched. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to have played under his leadership, and his impact on my life. Rest in peace, Jim,” Viniatieri wrote.
Former Colts star wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who played for Irsay’s team from 2012-2021, making four Pro Bowls, shared his love for Irsay in a post on X on Wednesday night.
“Please don’t ask me if I’m ok. Cuz I’m not. Thank You Sooo Much Mr.Irsay. I will forever hold our talks close to my heart. Love You! RIP Mr.Irsay,” Hilton wrote.
Several other current and former pro athletes paid respect to the owner on social media as well, including Robert Griffin III and the son of former legendary Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Marvin Harrison Jr.
Irsay’s father purchased the team in 1972, when they still played in Baltimore, for $12 million and moved the team in 1984. Irsay was the general manager of the team from 1982 to 1996 and became the NFL’s youngest owner at age 37, shortly after his dad’s death in 1997.
Irsay had several health issues over the years and battled drug and alcohol addiction, once admitting he had been to rehab “at least 15 times.”
The Colts announced in January 2024 that Irsay was being treated for a “severe respiratory illness.” That February, he posted on X that he was “on the mend.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, #18, left, and owner Jim Irsay are victorious after beating the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Jan. 24, 2010. (Al Tielemans /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)
“It’s a long road, and you have to be patient. The great news is everything is going well,” a hospitalized Irsay said that March after he underwent a procedure on his right leg.
Irsay said by that point he had undergone “26 surgeries over the last seven years.”
Over his tenure running the day-to-day operations of the organization, Irsay won 258 games, the fourth-most in the NFL in that span. He also won 10 division titles, went 1-1 in Super Bowls and made the playoffs 18 times.
He is survived by three daughters and 10 grandchildren. He and his ex-wife divorced in 2013.
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