Freddie Freeman's Stats Ever Since Calling Out Ronald Acuña Are Horrific
Braves' first baseman Freddie Freeman might want to take back what he said about teammate Ronald Acuña.
After Atlanta's Game 1 loss to the Cardinals in the NLDS last Thursday, Freeman called out the young Acuña for his lack of hustle, emphasizing that this wasn't his first offense.
Freddie Freeman on Ronald Acuna not hustling out of the box...
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) October 4, 2019
“You have that conversation once.. it’s kind of like beating a dead horse” pic.twitter.com/cx9pgPpPLL
Since these comments, Freeman's production at the plate and on the field has completely spiraled downwards. From Game 2 to the start of Game 5, the veteran leader hadn't recorded a single hit in 12 at bats, and made a crucial error in Game 5 that could have gotten the Braves out of the first inning before they let up a barrage of runs.
"You can't have that in a playoff game," Freddie Freeman said of Ronald Acuña.
— Ben Garrett (@SpiritBen) October 9, 2019
Freeman since: 0-12, four Ks, season-ending error.
Face of the @Braves, that one.
It's certainly one thing to call out a teammate, even the star player like Acuña, but to completely disappear at the plate afterwards is certainly not a good look.
Acuña's mistake was apparent and he certainly got an earful from fans and his skipper, but he's put his head down and worked hard since, whereas Freeman has effectively been a liability at the plate.
Hopefully, he learns from this mistake and realizes when to keep his mouth shut.