Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman Dedicated Historic World Series Moment to His Dad: Meet His Parents

Dodger player Freddie Freeman made history after executing the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history during game 1 against the New York Yankees in October 2024, then immediately celebrated the moment with his father, Fred. The heartwarming moment went viral, sparking curiosity among MLB fans worldwide about the professional baseball player’s parents.

Who Are Freddie Freeman’s Parents?

Freddie was born to his father Fred and his late mother Rosemary, whom he lost at a young age. Though he calls Los Angeles his professional home, it’s his late mother’s heritage that inspires him to represent Canada in international competitions.

“Most people don’t know that, but my mom passed away when I was 10 years old of melanoma skin cancer, and that’s why I play for Team Canada,” the baseball player told Dodgers’ media in 2023. “I don’t know if this is what she would want me to do, but in my heart, it’s what I feel I should do.”

Freddie’s parents met in Ontario, Canada, but were soon separated when Fred was transferred to California, beginning a long-distance relationship, according to The Peterborough Examiner . Rosemary eventually relocated to California where the couple welcomed three children. After Rosemary’s death, Fred honors her memory by wearing a cross that holds a locket of her hair and also wears sleeves to cover his skin, to show her he’s protected from melanoma.

“I do everything I can to honor her in some way. I grew up wanting to do that,” Freeman told The Examiner in March 2023. “I let Major League Baseball know in 2013 about my family history and how I’d like to represent Canada.”

Freddie Dedicated His Historical World Series Walk-Off to His Father

Moments after making history during game 1, Freddie immediately ran toward the backstop to find his father. “As soon as he swung, I knew it was a good swing,” Fred said about his son’s big moment to The Athletic . “But you never know. [I thought] is it far enough? Is it far enough? And then I saw him do the mic drop with the bat. And I knew it was gone.”

The two both put their hands on the net and screamed as they celebrated the unforgettable milestone, with the MLB star later telling reporters, “This isn’t my moment, that’s my dad’s moment.”

“My swing is because of him,” Freeman said in a post-game press conference. “My approach is because of him. I am who I am because of him. It was kind of spur of the moment. … All the batting practices, all the relentless hours we’ve spent together on the baseball field, we still do it in the off-season together. He still throws my batting practice.”

He continued, “I just wanted to share that with him because he’s been there. He’s been through a lot in his life too, and just to have a moment like that, I just wanted to be a part of that with him in that moment. ‘Cause that’s mostly his moment, if he didn’t throw me batting practice, if he didn’t love the game of baseball, I wouldn’t be here, playing this game. That’s Fred Freeman’s moment.”