Thursday night’s Home Opener at Dodger Stadium was a long time coming. First, suffering through a 99-day lockout in the off-season. This was followed by an abbreviated Spring Training due to canceled games that then bled into scratching some regular-season matchups from the schedule.

Fans had to weather the disappointment of losing their original Opening Day that would have taken place on March 31. Yet another year that did not begin on time.

With the changes, the Boys in Blue instead started 2022 on the road in Colorado and then traveled to a very wet and cold Minnesota to take on the Twins. This brings us back to the Thursday Home Opener against the Cincinnati Reds for a rare 7:10 pm PST night Home Opener for only the second time in franchise history.

The Dodger-faithful rolled into the stadium in droves once the gates opened at 4:10 pm PST. There were 52,995 seats accounted for – a virtual sea of blue moving through the ballpark.

As Los Angeles got warmed up in just their sixth game of the year, the masses were treated to more of what we saw in the brief two-game series they took against the Minnesota Twins in very cold – and very wet – Minneapolis. It was a combination of ‘small ball, bringing the next guy in to score (or “Paper cuts, but they’re working,” as SportsNet LA’s Orel Hershiser put it); or, in some cases, setting the table for someone like Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who knocked a three-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning.

But without question, a couple of the more significant highlights belonged to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, one of the newer Dodgers’ acquisitions on a six-year/$162 million contract and making his first appearance at Dodger Stadium (as a Dodger, that is). He was the second batter in the lineup and got a single in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning. Third baseman/Designated Hitter Justin Turner would then bring Freeman in to score the first run of the matchup on an RBI single.

After scoring three runs in the first inning, Los Angeles would mostly go quiet until the bottom of the eighth inning. With the score tied 3-3, things turned in favor of the Dodgers, who would eventually win 9-3.

Freeman led off the eighth inning with a ground-rule-double, for which he was rewarded with loud cheers of “Fred-die, Fred-die, Fred-die” over and over again from the throng of over 50,000. Fans shook the stadium when they collectively got to their feet to shout

With a mound visit underway, Freeman was able to pause and appreciate the crowd’s chants. He repaid them with a helmet tip and a wave from second base before tapping his heart several times with said helmet.

This was one of those rare, defining moments. Freeman has had quite a few Dodger firsts lately. However, this was his first regular-season game with the team in front of a packed ballpark. When asked after the game to describe how it felt, Freddie had some thoughtful words to share.

“I got tingles. I got the chills going through my body. It’s hard to really even put into words,” Freeman later told reporters. “You don’t really see anything like that happening in the game. To be able to have that moment in the 8th inning there with these fans and my first game here. That’s as special as it gets right there.

“That’s about as cool as it gets right there. That was special. That was a pretty amazing first game for me and the fans welcoming me here. I think the next six years are going to be very nice,” he added.

It is a special moment when players and fans can connect beyond the regular chants in any given game. Especially at Dodger Stadium, which is known for record attendance each year and for crowds making their presence felt during games.

Luckily, Freeman was on the positive receiving end of the cheers this time around. Here’s to more amazing “firsts” with our new first baseman.

For love of the game!

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