Choo Freeman projected as a phenom. He could run, he could hit and had a name that was impossible to forget.
He turned down football coach R.C. Slocum’s full-ride scholarship to Texas A&M to pursue his dream. He wanted to be a professional baseball player. Given his ability, he seemed limited only by his imagination. He would be a marvel.
Instead, all anyone did the past eight years was sit back and wonder if he ever would stick in the big leagues. If not his last, certainly his best chance arrived this weekend.
Freeman was shoved into center field in consecutive games and, on cue, caffeinated the lineup Saturday night with a three-run homer in the Rockies’ 11-6 bludgeoning of the Texas Rangers.
“He’s blooming,” Rockies outfield coach Dave Collins said. “He’s going to be a star.”
Consider Saturday night’s performance a trailer to a potential summer hit. When Freeman strode to the plate in the first inning, it was as if he walked onto the set of “War of the Worlds.” An ominous charcoal sky enveloped Coors Field as wind whipped wrappers and cups around the stadium. A rain delay was certain, so what better way to retreat to the clubhouse than with a commanding lead?
On Robinson Tejeda’s 31st pitch, Freeman smoked an 83 mph changeup into the left-field bleachers for his first Coors Field home run, establishing the tone in a boxscore-stuffed brawl.
“That felt good,” Freeman said. “I hope to add a little enthusiasm and a little excitement. I don’t think the (fans) know the type of player I can be.”
The significance of the Rockies’ victory reached beyond resurgent Todd Helton’s three hits, including his seventh home run, and Freeman’s emergence.
It was the Rockies’ sixth win in eight interleague games. That mark can’t be easily dismissed in the National League West, where no detail is too small when eyeing a discernible difference between the teams. With 88 games remaining, the Rockies trail the first-place Padres by two games in a division where everybody seems to be clumsily reaching for the same prize at once, like kids under the Christmas tree.
For the Rockies to contend deep into August for the first time since 2003, they need more offense. The composition of their lineup has been unable to exploit Coors Field, lacking power. On Saturday, they belted two home runs – leaving them with 30 after 37 home games – and finished with five extra-base hits.
That’s what makes Freeman so intriguing as a No. 8 hitter. He’s the team’s best athlete. On Wednesday, he beat out a routine groundball to short for an infield single. On Saturday, he drove a ball over the fence through swirling gusts.
“He’s got pop, and speed never hurts,” Helton said. “And his swing is a million times better than it’s been before.”
