Representing one’s country is a special honour that few professional athletes get to have.
For those who don their country’s colours, the experience goes far beyond the game.
That is certainly the case for Atlanta Braves infielder Freddie Freeman, who was one of 28 players named to Canada’s World Baseball Classic roster on Wednesday.
Playing for Team Canada means he will finally get to live out his dream of representing his late mother and her Canadian roots.
Freeman, 27, grew up in California but both of his parents were born in Canada—which is why he’s able to sport the maple leaf at the tournament this March.
“Can not be more excited to represent Canada at the WBC next month!” Freeman said via Twitter on Wednesday night. The tweet was accompanied by a heartfelt statement about why, exactly, representing Canada will be so special for him.
“It is going to be a very emotional day for me when I put on that Canada uniform come March 9,” Freeman wrote. “I carry my mother with me everyday and I can’t wait to represent her by playing in her honour.”
Here is Freeman’s full statement:
[blockquote]Both my parents were born in Canada. My mother in Toronto and my father in Windsor. My dad moved to California when he was 12 because my grandfather got transferred there for his job. They were there 3 years and my grandfather got transferred back to Windsor. My dad was in Windsor for 15 months before my grandfather got transferred back to California permanently. I’m thankful for those 15 months because that’s when my dad met my mother. Long story short, my parents got married in Oshawa a few years later and made their home in California. My mother passed away when I was 10 years old of melanoma skin cancer. It is going to be a very emotional day for me when I put on that Canada uniform come March 9. I carry my mother with me everyday and I can’t wait to represent her by playing in her honour. Thank you to team Canada for letting me play to honour her and my family!![cite]Freddie Freeman via Twitter[/cite][/blockquote]
This will be Freeman’s first time as a member of Team Canada, as he has represented the United States in past international tournaments.
The first baseman, who hit 34 home runs and drove in 91 runs with the Brave last season, has been connecting with his Canadian heritage over the past few years. He has even spent some time exploring his late mother’s city of Toronto when the Braves have been in town.
Freeman expressed his desire to play for Canada at the most recent WBC back in 2013, but there wasn’t a spot for him as Joey Votto and Justin Morneau were in play.
[relatedlinks]
