Freddie Freeman spent years dreaming of the chance to play for Canada as a way to honour his late mother. On March 9, he expects the emotions to be especially strong when he takes the field against the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic.
"Just being there is going to be the greatest thing for me," the Atlanta Braves first baseman told reporters in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., over the weekend. "Being able to put on a Canada uniform with my dad in the stands, knowing what it means to not only me but my whole family … that makes it even more exciting for me."
Up until late December that excitement was on hold, as it looked like Baseball Canada once again wasn’t going to have a spot for him at the 2017 tournament.
Much like in 2013, the national team had needs around the diamond but a logjam with Justin Morneau and Joey Votto at first base, where the California-born slugger with Canadian parents has played all but five of his games over 10 years of professional baseball.
Knowing Morneau and Votto weren’t going to be displaced, one idea was to use Freeman at third base, where he logged those five games back in 2007 while still in rookie ball. Understandably the Braves, committed to Freeman on a $135-million, eight-year deal, weren’t thrilled with the idea, so the 27-year-old was left to bide his time for another opportunity.
"I told (Baseball Canada), ‘Believe me, I’ll wait my turn,’" Freeman says. "I understand they were born in Canada and grew up there and I was born in the United States. So I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes. It just so happened that it came about a lot earlier than I thought."
Joey Votto and Justin Morneau pictured in action for Team Canada. (Chris Young/CP)
A spot opened up just before the new year, when Votto announced that he wouldn’t take part in the Classic because "there were some aspects of my performance in 2016 that I have decided were lacking, I would like to use 2017 spring training for preparation," he said in a statement.
Initially uneasy with the situation, Freeman jumped at his second chance knowing he had Votto’s blessing.
"We were trying to find a way to make all three of us work, Morneau, Votto and I, and it was getting tough at the end," says Freeman. "Eventually Joey got a hold of me and said he would not be playing and he would love for me to play. I said, I wanted him to play – he and Morneau are pretty much Canadian baseball – so it’s definitely tough not seeing Votto put on that uniform this year.
"But he was really thrilled for me because he knows my story playing this year."
The Braves also happily signed off on things, too, after discussions between general manager John Coppolella, Freeman and his agent, Victor Menocal.
"All three of us felt like if he was to play somewhere other than first base it probably wasn’t in his best interest or the Braves’ best interest," Coppolella says in an interview. "But he was great, and obviously with him being able to play first base, we’re very pleased he can do that. It’s a chance for him to honour his heritage and his parents, and that’s a big deal for him."
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Freeman was only 10 when his mother, Rosemary, died in 2000 from melanoma, and it took him a long time to recover from her loss. As a matter of course, he wears long sleeves under his jersey and lots of sunscreen every time he plays in her memory, and wears a necklace with a cross that holds strands of her hair.
"She’s with me everywhere I go," he says.
Rosemary was born in Toronto while his father, Fred, was born in Windsor, Ont., but moved back and forth to California with his family. The couple met in Windsor, married in Oshawa, Ont., and eventually made their home in California.
Freeman was born and raised in the United States and played on American national teams in the past, but he’s all-in with the Canadian squad and won’t have anyone question that commitment.
"Oh I’ve heard it all," he says. "I’ve heard it from people in America saying that the United States pays you, you’re this and that, and I’m a fake Canadian. Believe me I get that I was born in the United States but a lot of people can read the headlines but they don’t really know the story. I am not fake when it comes to this, both of my parents (are Canadian). Anything you can to do to honour family, in my opinion, is the greatest thing you can do. And this is all about honouring my mother and obviously winning this whole thing would be even more special. It’s going to be definitely a very emotional time on March 9, but I hope I can put those emotions aside and be able to play a good game."
