Tonight, as all the lights at the Los Angeles Dodgers focus on the opening game of the Finals series against the Toronto Blue Jays, Freddie Freeman – the team’s number one star – carries in his heart a journey filled with both glory and pain that no one sees. When his mother died when he was a boy, Freeman learned to fight not only against opponents on the field but also against himself. And now, with his son in hospital, today’s game is not just about the title – it’s about a promise to his family and himself.
After a 2025 season with a lot to prove from a mega-contract and a young roster, the Dodgers advance to the Finals to face the Blue Jays, who are making their first Finals appearance since 1993. Freeman – whose number 5 carries a deep meaning – is considered the spiritual fulcrum of the entire team. But today, he not only stepped onto the field with the hope of winning, but also with a state of anxiety.
Behind the familiar smile and stable performance, Freeman is carrying on his shoulders a personal worry from his family. For someone who experienced the pain of losing his mother at the age of 10, the news of his son’s illness was like a pain that gently stirred up memories of years ago.
“I used to think I understood everything about pain, but only when I became a father did I realize how weak my heart was,” Freeman shared in an emotional press conference. He paused for a few seconds, choking up: “My son is the reason I continue to play. When he was sick, I just wished I could change all the titles to see him healthy and smiling at me.”
That statement made the entire press room silent. Not because of sadness, but because it was the most sincere voice from a man who seemed “unbreakable.”
Freeman once said that the death of his mother, Rosemary, was the pain that shaped him. She died of cancer when Freddie was 10 years old. Throughout his childhood, he always carried a picture of his mother on the field, carved her name on his glove, and often looked up to the sky when he scored.
Now, that memory seems to come alive, as he watches his son lying quietly in the hospital. “I just want him to grow up healthy, to know that life is worth living – like my mother taught me,” he said.
Throughout the 2025 season, Freeman remained the Dodgers’ leader – a symbol of stability and faith. He led the team in RBIs and was an inspiration in the locker room. But behind that calm demeanor was a heart that never stopped missing, worrying, and loving to the end.
A close teammate revealed: “Freddie always told us – ‘Play like there’s no tomorrow.’ He wasn’t just the captain, he was the soul of the team.”
When asked if the news of his son’s illness would affect his performance in the upcoming World Series, Freeman simply smiled, his eyes shining with the same conviction:
“I’m going to bat for my son. For my mother. Those two are the reasons I’m standing here today.”
It was no longer the promise of an athlete before a big game, but the prayer of a father, a son – trying to keep his heart strong in the midst of a storm.
In a season filled with pressure and doubt, the image of Freddie Freeman bowing his head in prayer on the mound before each inning has become a symbol of mental strength. He’s not just fighting for a title, but for the people he loves – the people who have given him and continue to give him a reason to keep going.
And whatever the outcome of the Final, Freddie Freeman was still the winner – in the eyes of millions of fans, and in the heart of his little son.
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