"I kind of followed Chipper Jones around" - When Freddie Freeman revealed how he became close pals with Braves legend

Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman once shared how MLB legend Chipper Jones became his idol and friend following Spring Training in 2012. Their relationship started off as a rookie following a star as his gofer in 2011.

Freeman noted that he was always on Jones' beck and call, even if that call came at 1 am. He’d run with Red Bull, poker chips and anything Jones wanted to his room and loved being around him.

"It was a little bit different back then," Freddie Freeman said in a March 2018 interview. "I would get him his Red Bulls and anything he asked me to get. I was the carrier of the poker chips on road trips.

“I'd get the call in my hotel room at one o'clock in the morning, and I'd run the poker chips to his room. I never complained. I just wanted to be the guy that just did everything he wanted. He took that to his liking."

Things started to shift during the 2012 Spring Training, when Freddie Freeman got a call from Jones, asking him to hang out. Recalling how his peaceful day with his wife, Chelsea, got interrupted, Freeman said that he immediately took off to Jones' house.

That day was unlike any other, though. It was a chill day where the two hung out together and chatted for a long time. Freeman admitted that he didn’t know what made Chipper Jones like him but wanted to follow in the steps of the MLB legend.

"I went over, and we kind of hung out. It just kind of took off. I don't know if he saw a little of himself in me or what it was. But it was different. He was 40, and I was 22,” Freddie Freeman said.

“I just kind of followed him around. That's a Hall of Fame player right there. You just want to be attached to his side and see what he did and how he prepared.”

With Freddie Freeman’s current performances, he could achieve similar results like his idol Chipper Jones, and maybe even walk alongside him. Freeman wanted to play for the Atlanta Braves for a long time, just like Jones did.

"Obviously, I'm not going to have his career, I don't think I ever will," Freddie Freeman said.

"But maybe he sees me as a guy who is on his path. I think it's just a relationship that just kept growing and growing and growing. To this day, it's stronger than it ever was. It's something I cherish. If I need something, he's there."

However, things unravelled differently for the first baseman, who eventually joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a six-year, $162 million deal. The Braves and Freeman failed to come to an agreement on contract terms and eventually parted ways.

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Chipper Jones rescues Freddie Freeman amid a snowstorm

Freddie Freeman hugs Chipper Jones [Source: Imagn]

One of the most famous call-backs to Chipper Jones-Freddie Freeman’s bond is undoubtedly the snowstorm rescue in Atlanta in 2014. Jones ran to Freeman's aid despite the biting cold weather and brought him back on his ATV.

Jones went in prepared with extra clothes to warm up his young friend, and his efforts weren't wasted. Freeman was thrilled to see Jones and get out of the horrifying traffic that had held him up for 11 hours.

"It was frigid," Chipper Jones said. "He was about at his wits' end when I got to him. He was pretty happy to see me, especially with how I was dressed."

Jones later tweeted:

“He hugged me the whole way home.”

It was a heartwarming incident that changed Freeman's chilly night experience with a warm ending.