Before Sal Frelick took his first at-bat against the team he grew up rooting for, the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder obliged a young fan wearing the same Lexington Little League jersey Frelick once wore for a photo and autograph.
It wasn’t so long ago that the 24-year-old Frelick was in a similar situation to 9-year-old Wyatt Najarian, a wide-eyed fourth grader attending a Friday evening Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park.
“I met a professional baseball player from Lexington,” said the near-speechless Hastings Elementary School student. “I can’t believe it.”
And in some ways, neither could Frelick himself. The definition of dreams to reality. In town with Milwaukee for a three-game series against the Red Sox, Frelick experienced many “full-circle” career moments over the weekend.
“It’s a different feeling than I expected,” Frelick said during a pregame media session held in the visitor’s dugout. “Fenway is where I grew up watching games… I obviously dreamed of playing in the Red Sox uniform when I was a little kid but to be back here is unbelievable.”
As soon as MLB released its schedule for this season, Frelick, his family, friends and other connections circled Memorial Day weekend on their calendars. Frelick fronted a suite for his inner circle over the weekend, giving upwards of 50 people a private, Frelick-centric home. His mother, Patty, and younger sister, Frankie missed the weekend — Patty supported Frankie and the Duke University softball team in the NCAA Division I Softball Super Regionals in Missouri.
In a surprise pregame ceremony Friday, Lexington’s Select Board presented Frelick with a proclamation naming May 24, 2024 as Sal Frelick day in the town. About 70 people attended, including the Select Board, a handful of Frelick’s former coaches, teachers and members of the Best Buddies organization that he volunteers for.
“I think he’s done a good job as a young guy. You can tell he plays with an edge — and I like that,” said Christian Yelich, the 2018 National League Most Valuable Player and 12-year MLB veteran, who often plays alongside Frelick in the outfield. “Everybody has roots where they’re from and they don’t transplant fully. He’s just a good kid.”
Frelick’s Lexington roots played a critical role in his development. He attended Fiske Elementary School and Diamond Middle School. Frelick chose to attend his hometown Lexington High School over area prep schools. The 2018 LHS graduate starred for the Minutemen not only in baseball, but also in ice hockey and football.
“I take a lot of pride in playing for where you’re from,” Frelick said. “That was something big for me that started in middle school. I really wanted to play for my town.”
That perspective facilitated his next step to Boston College. He considered few, if any, schools far from home. Frelick thought about playing both baseball and football for the BC Eagles but opted to focus on the former, enjoying a three-year All-ACC career.
“New England breeds a lot of good young talent, but a lot of the guys go down south or out west — I wanted to play for my state and my city,” Frelick said. “To be able to stick to those values and still get to where I am is good to look back on.”
Of course, Frelick’s school choices ran out when it came time for professional baseball. Milwaukee made him the 15th overall pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft.
After working his way through the minor league system, Frelick made his big league debut in July of last season, the fourth LHS alum to make it to the big leagues and just the second in the last 50 years. A staple on the major league roster ever since, Frelick plays all three outfield spots with occasional appearances at third base. The lefty-batting, righty-throwing Frelick started 42 Milwaukee’s first 50 games this season, batting everywhere from leadoff to the bottom of the order.
Any extra attention on Frelick from the outside didn’t make it into the Brewers clubhouse over the weekend.
“Everyone knows he’s from here, but he’s been pretty chill about it,” said infielder Joey Ortiz, whose locker in the visiting clubhouse neighbors Frelick’s.
With Lexington as his base having taught him to play for his community, Frelick now feels a strong loyalty to Milwaukee.
“It’s my second home right now and that’s something I want to embrace,” Frelick said. “I’m from Boston but now I’m living and playing for this city. This is the city I’m proud to represent and want to bring a ton of wins.”
The Brewers won Friday and Saturday’s games, and the Red Sox won on Sunday.
Leave a comment