Even though Saturday’s game between the Dodgers and South Korea’s Kiwoom Heroes at the Gocheok Sky Dome was only a Spring Training Game, in no way was it your typical “Meaningless Spring Training Game,” as they are often called – not by any stretch of the imagination. It was the first of two exhibition games leading up to the two-game 2024 regular season opening series between the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, who are also currently in the island nation for two exhibition games prior to Monday’s season opener between the two division rivals.

As every baseball fan know, South Koreans are very passionate about Major League Baseball. According to Baseball Almanac, there have been 28 South Korean-born players to play in the MLB.

As you might expect, Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani received a hero’s welcome by the 14,671 in attendance at the Gocheok Sky Dome. Unfortunately, the former MLB Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, two-time MLB MVP, and former MLB Player of the Year struck out in both of his at-bats during Saturday’s eventual 14-3 Dodgers win.

That’s the not-so great news.

The great news is that 34-year-old extremely popular (even in Korea) Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman gave the fans in attendance (and millions more watching on ESPN and SportsNet LA) exactly what they wanted to see.

In his first at-bat on the night as the Dodgers’ number three hitter, Freeman crushed 28-year-old (former Met) Ariel Jurado‘s 92.2 MPH four-seam fastball 449 feet (that’s not a typo) down the right field line to give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead.

But wait, there’s more!

In the top of the fourth, the Villa Park, CA native and second round draft pick in 2007 by the Atlanta Braves out of El Modena High School in Orange, CA came inches away from hitting his second home run of the night with a double to straightaway right field.

But wait, there’s more!

In the top of the seventh inning, Freeman chopped an infield single just inside the third base line for his third and final hit of the night, thereby finishing his night the proverbial ‘triple shy of the cycle.’

But Freeman wasn’t the only hero against the Heroes. Twenty-seven-year-old Dodgers starting right-hander Michael Grove struck out four of the six batters he faced in his two innings of work on Saturday evening.

“It was great, you know, just to work on, keep working on the stuff we’ve been going over this Spring,” Grove told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson following his near-perfect two innings of work. “It was nice to get the results I did, but it’s really a cool experience and cool crowd and everything, the surroundings. It was a lot of fun out there.”

잘했어 얘들아 (“Well done, boys!” in Korean).

Play Ball!

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