One of the most enduring images of the Atlanta Braves’ World Series victory is Freddie Freeman embracing his father, Fred, in ecstasy. After Freddie hit the home run that sank the Houston Astros, three generations of Freemans, from his father to his daughter, celebrated in unison. His mother, Rosemary Freeman, celebrated from heaven.
“Trust me, I wish I could hug my mom on that field,” Freddie said. The New York Times. “But I know that she’s awake with my grandmother right now, jumping up and down.” Two hours before the Braves’ victory, Freddie’s wife, Chelsea, texted him that Freddie would be proud of her efforts. We have no doubt that Rosemary is celebrating.
Contents
- 1 Freddie stopped playing baseball after his mother passed away when he was ten years old.
- 2 Freddie saved his father’s life by rushing him to the hospital after he lost his breath
- 3 Freddie played internationally for Canada in honor of his mother
- 4 Freddie would call his father for support whenever he started having problems.
Freddie stopped playing baseball after his mother passed away when he was ten years old.
Edward Roda/Getty Images
Rosemary was delighted after seeing Freddie hit his first home run and told her husband Fred, “We’ve got a home run hitter!” Unfortunately, Rosemary would not see her son rise to the top of competitive baseball.
Freddie can’t stop the waterworks every time he tells Rosemary’s story. Five years after surgery to remove a bleeding mole, Rosemary suffered from appendicitis. Scans revealed the worst: the cancer had returned.
Rosemary soon required hospitalization, which was soon replaced by hospice care. Freddie and his two brothers rushed to comfort his mother every day. free man said ESPN that her mother found it uncomfortable to accommodate three children in her bed, but she allowed it. Freddie explained:
‘Those little moments are very special to me. Her pain was 20 out of 10, and she never said a word. She let us crawl on the bed and tried to be all she could to us, even though she had to stay there. And she was more than that, a mother, even in those days.”
Freddie thought his mother would beat the disease and admits that he did everything possible to beat it. When he was called to the principal’s office in June 2000, he learned that she had passed away. “She was 10 years old,” he said. “I was naive. I still thought my mom was going to pull through.”
For months after Rosemary’s death, Freddie quit baseball; he just wanted to stay home. “I mean, I don’t even know how you process that as a 10-year-old,” he said.
During that time, Freddie and his brothers grew closer to their father. “Through it, my dad had to be Super Dad, and he did.” After many months, Freddie suggested to Fred that they play baseball. He said ESPN that sport became therapy:
“You realized that it actually took your mind off something for a while. And those brief amounts of time we played catch turned into long moments on the course, practicing shots and spending as much time as we could to take our minds off our lives. It was our emotional medicine to help us.”
Freddie saved his father’s life by rushing him to the hospital after he lost his breath
Freddie and his brothers had Fred to lean on after Rosemary’s passing, but he had little support. He sank into depression while trying to play the part of two fathers. He got fat and his health plummeted.
As Freddie and Fred watched the Lakers play one night, Fred noticed his father was out of breath. Concerned, he asked his father to see a doctor immediately. It turns out that Fred saw the doctor just in time. freddy said ESPN Daily:
“Just sitting in that room, in the hospital where my mother was two years before. The doctor walks into the room, I’m with my dad, and he says: ‘Mr. Freeman, you’re lucky you came to the hospital tonight. Because if you didn’t go inside and go to sleep, chances are you would have died in your sleep. I was close to losing my parents at the age of 12.
Fred’s heart had filled with fluid, causing congestive heart failure. Fred’s children implored him to take better care of himself, which he began to do.
He also quit his job as a CPA to practice baseball with his sons. Freddie believes that he would not be the player that he is without the input of his father. He said ESPN:
“I always tell him that I would not be here without him. And it is very true. He always says, ‘No, you’re talented,’ this and that. But…for what he had to go through when I was 10 and my brothers were 13 and 16, it’s emotional for me.”
In June 2020, Freddie dedicated the following Father’s Day message to Fred: “The best there is. There are not enough words to describe how much I love my dad and how inspiring he is! A man who has faced so many obstacles and somehow found a way to love and smile through it all. He sacrificed all his life for his children!”
Freddie played internationally for Canada in honor of his mother
Fake Images/Todd Kirkland
Freddie always wears long sleeves to honor his mother, who died of skin cancer. He also carries a locket with hair inside. Several years ago, he went a step further by switching his gaming loyalties to Canada.
Fred and Rosemary are Canadians who raised their children in Southern California. They met in Windsor, Canada, and married in Oshawa several years later. Rosemary never renounced her Canadian citizenship.
Freddie first expressed his desire to play for Canada during a 2015 visit to Toronto, where the Braves played the Blue Jays. free man said ESPN that he intended to sneak out to visit a building where Rosemary spent a lot of time.
“I’m going to walk, I’ll see the skyscraper where I worked,” said Freddie. “That will be good for me. That will be special to see. I want to represent Canada so I can represent my mother.”
He would have liked to do it in 2015, but Canada had two capable point guards in Joey Votto and Justin Morneau. The opportunity arose in 2017, with Votto sidelined and Justin designated hitter.
free man said mlb.com that he didn’t expect the opportunity to come so soon, but that he would enjoy every moment. “Being able to wear the Canada uniform with my dad in the stands, knowing what it means to my whole family, makes it even more exciting for me,” she said.
Freddie had nothing but noble intentions when he decided to play for Canada, but some fans appreciated his gesture. Taunts of ‘fake Canadian’ filled the internet. However, Freddie stood firm in his decision:
“I’m not fake when it comes to this. In my opinion, anything you can do when it comes to honoring the family is the best thing to do. It’s about honoring my mother and obviously winning all of this would be even more special. Hopefully I can put those emotions aside and play a good match.”
Freddie would call his father for support whenever he started having problems.
The Atlanta Braves signed Freddie when he was 17 years old from El Modena High School. Fred signed the contract as Freddie could not make a legally binding contract.
The Gulf Coast league can sometimes prove too challenging for the talented youngster. He called Fred for support, and the doting dad responded by flying to Orlando for support.
Triple-A was no easier than the Gulf Coast League; Freddie almost gave up baseball due to his poor performances. “He [Freddie] said, ‘Dad, I made a mistake, I need to go home, I’m not good enough,'” said Fred The New York Times.
Fred responded by flying over to Charlotte to watch Freddie’s performance. It turned out that all Freddie needed was someone to take the pressure off him. Fred continued:
“I said, ‘Freddie, they’re jumping up there. Tomorrow, don’t swing. You can’t do worse. So he walked the first few times on eight pitches, and then the third time he hit one off the center field fence on the first pitch.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn