Playing for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic is extra special for Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman, because it allows him to honor his late mother, Rosemary.
Born in Fountain Valley, Calf, Freeman lost his mother to skin cancer when he was just 10 years old, though he knew how much Canada meant to him even at a young age. Despite growing up in Southern California, his parents – both born in Ontario – made sure he knew the value of being a Canadian.
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So when Team USA asked in 2017 if he was interested in joining their stacked WBC lineup, he declined, opting instead to represent the country where his mother grew up. Now, six years later, the 33-year-old is again wearing the red and white on his chest, hoping it will make him proud.
“I don’t know if that’s what she wanted me to do, but in my heart, I feel like I should do it to honor her,” Freeman said in an interview posted by the Dodgers.
“In my heart, it’s the right decision for me to honor my mother and play for Team Canada … Even if I hit zero every season, I think she’ll still be proud of me. I hope that he would be proud of me…
“Twenty-three years, it never goes away,” Freeman continued as he fought back tears. “That’s all I want. I hope she’s smiling down (at me).”
Whatever the case, Freeman always plays with a heavy heart when he steps onto the baseball field and feels those feelings even more during international competition. Playing for Team Canada is an honor he will remember long after his professional career is over.
The six-time All-Star, who signed a six-year, $162 million deal with the Dodgers through 2022, also holds several reminders of his mother at every game.
“If most Dodgers fans don’t know… there are a lot of things that go into my games that I do to remember my mom,” Freeman explained. “I wear sleeves at every game. It’s for my mom because she passed away from skin cancer. Every time I wear my tight sleeves, it makes me think of her.
“I wear a cross around my neck that is untied and has her hair inside. Everything I do is for my mother.”
Freeman has had a somewhat slow start to this year’s WBC, allowing three runs scored, one RBI and hitting 2-for-8 through two games. But as the superstar slugger has shown many times in the major leagues, he can carry the offense for an extended stretch.
After a disappointing 12–1 loss to the Americans on Monday night, Team Canada fell to a 1–1 record, entering a three-way tie for second place with Colombia and Mexico. in pool c — adding to the anticipation of Tuesday’s Canada-Colombia showdown.
