All About L.A. Dodgers Star Freddie Freeman’s Parents, Dad Frederick and Late Mom Rosemary

Mar. 15, 2025

Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers poses for a photo with his father prior to the Father’s Day game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, June 18, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.Photo:Getty

Getty

Freddie Freeman’s love for baseball is unmatched — and that’s largely due to his parents, Rosemary Freeman andFrederick Freeman.

When Freddie was just 10 years old, Rosemary died after a long battle with melanoma. He opened up about the pain of losing his mother at a young age in a 2015 interview withShared Grief.

“My mom was my rock,” he said. “[She did] everything she could do to make sure I was doing what I loved and what I loved was baseball … It was definitely a very tough, hard time. I didn’t know any kids that lost another parent, so I just focused on baseball. All I did was baseball and I did it as much as I possibly could so I could focus on trying to hit a round ball with a round bat instead of my mother.”

The baseball player also credits his dad for his dedication to the sport and says Fred has been leading his batting practice since he was a kid.

“My swing is because of him. My approach is because of him. I am who I am because of him,” Freddie told reporters after his walk-off grand slam during the 2024 World Series opener against the New York Yankees on Oct. 25. “That’s mostly his moment because 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.”

So, who are Rosemary and Frederick Freeman? Here’s everything to know about Freddie Freeman’s parents.

Fred and Rosemary met in Canada

Freddie Freeman’s mother Rosemary Freeman (L) and father Fred Freeman.Freddie Freeman/ Instagram

Freddie Freeman/ Instagram

Both of Freddie’s parents are Canadian. Rosemary was born in Toronto, Ontario, and Fred was born in Windsor, Ontario. But despite growing up less than a half hour away from each other, they almost didn’t meet.

“My dad moved to California when he was 12 because my grandfather got transferred there for his job,” the L.A. Dodgers player wrote on X. “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.”

According toCBC, Freddie has dual citizenship because of his parents and has played twice for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic.

They had three kids

Freddie Freeman with his parents Rosemary and Fred Freeman and his siblings.Freddie Freeman/ Instagram

Rosemary and Fred had three sons: Edward, Phillip and Frederick.

When Rosemary died, Fred became a single dad overnight. While taking care of laundry one day, he told his youngest son that he wished he had helped their mother out more with the household stuff. Freddie, who’s known for his positive attitude on the field, didn’t see that sentiment as regret.

“It put a smile on my face; he actually did like doing that stuff,” he toldThe Atlanta Journal-Constitutionin 2011. “It wasn’t like ‘Oh, I’ve got to go through this another day.’”

Fred taught Freddie baseball

Freddie Freeman with his grandfather, father and son before heading to MLB spring training.Freddie Freeman/ Instagram

Freddie started playing baseball when he was 4 years old. Though his father taught the sport to all three of his sons, Fred toldThe Atlanta Journal-Constitutionthat Freddie was the only one who never got tired of their daily batting practice.

Both of his parents went to great lengths to protect the right-handed first baseman’s unique left-handed swing. Rosemary even pulled Freddie off the field ahead of his first T-ball game out of fear the coaches would encourage him to swing right-handed.

“Most kids in T-ball don’t know what they are, so if they’re throwing right-handed, you think they’re right-handed, so you turn them around, try to get their hands right and turn them the ‘right’ way,” Fred toldMLB.com. “Half the kids don’t know at that age, but Freddie had already been playing with his older brothers. He knew how to play.”

Freddie almost hit his mom with his first home run

Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a walk-off grand slam during the tenth inning against the New York Yankees during Game One of the 2024 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Getty

When he was 9 years old, Freddie hit his first-ever home run — and almost hit his mom in the process. The superstar baseball player toldThe Atlanta Journal-Constitutionthat Rosemary was walking the family dog, Chip, around the outfield fence when the ball came flying over and collided with a light pole just a few steps from where she was standing.

Instead of acknowledging the close call, she retrieved the ball and told her husband: “I can’t believe it; we have a home-run hitter.”

Rosemary died when Freddie was 10

Freddie Freeman and family members gather at Rosemary Freeman’s grave.Freddie Freeman/ Instagram

The mother of three was first diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer, when Freddie was 4 years old. Rosemary beat the disease, and was in remission for almost five years until doctors discovered it had returned while she was in the hospital with appendicitis. The cancer spread over the next seven months, and she died on June 13, 2000. She was 47 years old.

“I’d just look at her and look into her eyes,” Freddie toldThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “You could tell. You have that genuine love that a mom has. I remember kissing her forehead after every time I went visiting her. Those are memories I’ll always have.”

Fred didn’t want Freddie to play for the Braves

Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves watches his solo home run during the first inning off Anthony Bass #52 of the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on July 09, 2021 in Miami, Florida.Getty

But, as Freddie toldLos Angeles Magazine, he just wanted to play baseball. So Fred agreed to let his son play for the Braves on the condition that if he didn’t make it to the big leagues in five years, he’d go back to school. He did it in three years.

Fred has been supporting his son at the 2024 World Series

Freddie Freeman and his father Fred.Freddie Freeman/ Instagram

Fred, who still lives in California, has been cheering on his son from the sidelines during the 2024 World Series, along with his daughter-in-law,Chelsea Freeman, and their three boys. When Freddie secured the Dodgers’ first win with a walk-off grand slam on Oct. 25, he ran over to his dad who was sitting in the stands behind the net.

“I was so excited,” Fred toldDodgers Nation. “I just couldn’t believe that was my son. So proud. So excited. I’m going to watch all the replays all night. [We] didn’t talk … he just head-butted me and screamed. He was so excited, and I don’t think we had any words. It was just yelling at each other.”

source: people.com