Freddie Freeman is one of the most beloved players in baseball. Freeman also happens to be a superstar on the field, so it comes as no surprise that opponents surely are not thrilled about facing him. St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol is among the opponents who does not look forward to facing the Dodgers star. During a recent interview with Buster Olney of ESPN, Marmol was asked who the toughest opposing hitter is for him to manage against.
“I hate Freddie Freeman in the box,” Marmol said. “I love him when he's not in the box. He's an incredible human, man. I enjoy talking to him.”
There is no shortage of stars around the MLB world, of course. So, what is it that makes Freeman such a different hitter to manage against?
“But he can beat you so many different ways and he has such a good understanding of what he's trying to do and what the pitcher's trying to do,” the Cardinals manager continued.
Freeman is an incredibly intelligent hitter. He does a tremendous job of going the other way. Many of his home runs go out to left center field. Freeman is far more than just a power hitter, though, as he records high batting averages and on-base percentages on a consistent basis.
Freddie Freeman is also a tremendous leader. The Dodgers understand how valuable he is to their success — both from an on the field and off the field standpoint. The Cardinals, and other opponents, also understand how talented and valuable he is to the Dodgers.
