I will be the first to admit that social media users can be highly critical and act like trolls on occasion, but this news story is igniting our feeds like nothing else.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman just hit a massive grand slam in the first game of the World Series to go up 1-0 against the Yankees.
The reason it is so momentous is because so few players have accomplished such a massive game-ending home run at such a pivotal time—namely, the first pitch when the bases were loaded to end the game in grand style.
Social media users have really noticed.
A few of my favorite posts on X.com include one where a user posted an animation from Shrek being dismissed as a non-threat, smiling at the camera, with the caption imagining the Yankees saying “we got Shohei Ohtani out let’s put Mookie Betts on base so we don’t have to deal with him” (which then allowed Freeman to take his big swing). Another post showed a split screen of Kirk Gibson’s massive walk-off home run way back in 1985 that also ended that game.
Then there’s a social media post talking about what Freeman did after his walk-off grand slam. He ran enthusiastically around the bases, stomping on home plate briefly and high-fiving teammates, but then ran over to give his dad a big hug in the bleachers.
This is where social media really shines brightest.
For one thing, a quick scan on my feed shows me all of the best moments. I could watch the 1985 home run by Gibson, check a few stats on who has also hit grand slams before in a World Series (e.g., not many), and catch up on a few other details that would normally require wading through a bunch of news posts. You could even make the case that baseball in particular is a good match for social media because you can see quick stats and clips.
It’s also a great way to catch up on the backstory. I watched a video where Freeman explained how the grand slam was a big milestone for him and his family, particularly for his dad. “It was kind of spur of the moment,” said Freeman. “I saw him hugging a lot of people back there. I think he was so nervous going into that. I just wanted to share that with him because he’s been there. He’s been going through a lot in his life too, and just to have a moment like that, I wanted to be a part of that with him in that moment.”
I also loved watching the crowd reactions, which was like witnessing a thunderstorm of whoops and hollers, people jumping all over the place, and pure joy and excitement over the victory. This is why we watch sporting events, right?
Truth be told, I watched the grand slam about 20 times mostly because I wanted to hear the crowd and the pure ecstasy of winning a big game with one swing of the bat. I’m sure I’ll explore a lot of other news reports and check YouTube for more highlights, but social media, for me, was the fastest and most accessible way to experience the big moment.
