Ronald Acuña describes feelings for Freddie Freeman as 'nothing'
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after scoring on a double by Trea Turner during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Credit: AP
ATLANTA — Don't count Ronald Acuña Jr. among the Atlanta players who will be missing Freddie Freeman as the team opens the season.
Acuña said in an Instagram Live interview he had no feelings for Freeman, the former longtime Atlanta first baseman who helped lead the team to the World Series championship last year and then signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Asked if he would miss Freeman, Acuña replied “Me? Nothing.”
Added Acuña, according to a translation of the interview in Spanish conducted by Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times: “We just shared the same stadium. ... We had several clashes.”
Acuña is the first Atlanta player to have anything but praise for Freeman, the 2020 NL MVP.
Many of Freeman's teammates openly lobbied to re-sign the free agent. When Atlanta would not offer more than five years, the first baseman signed a $162 million, six-year deal with Los Angeles.
Atlanta countered by trading for Matt Olson, who is four years younger than Freeman, and quickly signing Olson to a $168 million, eight-year deal. Olson now joins Acuña as foundation players.
Freeman was extremely popular with fans and most teammates. But Acuña said in the Instagram Live interview, conducted in Spanish, he wasn't warmly welcomed as a rookie by some veteran players.
“It’s something that happens all the time," Acuña said. "When you come up as a rookie, with your flow. There’s always someone who wants to put you in your place. You put your eye black, your sunglasses, your hat a little crooked. A lot of people doesn’t like it and yourself don’t see it as being bad because it’s part of the game. Lots of veterans did that to me.
"When I came up in 2018, they used a swipe and cleaned it up. I couldn’t say anything. I will be a veteran one day. I’m not saying I’m a veteran today, but no one is going to come and take something off my face today.”
Acuña didn't name Freeman as one of the veteran players who disapproved of his style as a rookie.
Acuña is recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee suffered midway through last season and is on the injured list to open their season against Cincinnati on Thursday night. Acuña hopes to return in May.
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