Freddie Freeman, the Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman and current active hits leader with 2,481, is re-evaluating his baseball longevity. This comes as he balances his career aspirations with family life. Freeman, 36, spoke about how the recent arrival of his daughter has shifted his focus.
Balancing Baseball and Fatherhood
Freeman acknowledges the significance of reaching 3,000 hits, but his priorities are evolving. “Obviously, getting 3,000 hits would be very, very cool,” Freeman said. “But ever since baby girl came into this world about a month ago, my perspective has changed a little bit on individual stats and how long I would want to play.”
On April 19, Freeman and his wife, Chelsea, welcomed their fourth child, a daughter named London Rosemary. London’s middle name, Rosemary, honours Freeman’s mother, who died of melanoma when he was 10.
Freeman intends to play three more seasons after the current one, assuming his health and performance remain strong. However, he’s discussed with Chelsea the challenges of being away from London during road trips.
Leaving his sons – Charlie, 9; Brendan, 5; and Maximus, 5 – is also difficult. The boys enjoy watching him play baseball. Freeman recognises that London won’t have memories of him playing, even if he achieves his goal of playing 20 major-league seasons and reaching age 40.
“I’m missing things for something she’ll never know,” Freeman said. “She’s not going to know I missed these things either. But it weighs on me and my heart. I think everybody who knows me knows it weighs on me hard.
The Emotional Toll of Time Away
Freeman expressed the internal conflict between his love for his family and his passion for baseball. “All I ever wanted was a family. But all I ever wanted to do was play baseball, too. It’s such a hard thing, it really is.”
He understands his fortunate position, noting his career earnings will be nearly $300 million by the time his contract with the Dodgers concludes after next season. Despite his achievements as a nine-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion, former National League MVP and World Series MVP, he experiences the same parental emotions as anyone who spends time away from their children.
“I don’t like seeing my daughter grow up on a FaceTime call,” Freeman said. “When I’m sitting in a hotel room by myself at night after a game, I’m just like, ‘Oh man, what am I doing?’”
- Freeman is the current active hits leader with 2,481.
- He plans to play three more seasons after this one.
- His daughter’s middle name, Rosemary, is in honor of Freeman’s mother.
“I’m not trying to sound like it’s just me. Believe me, I get it. But when you’ve done a job for as long as I have and achieved almost everything, to be still missing things, that’s what’s hard on older guys in this game.”
Freeman recognises the sacrifices many people make by traveling for work to provide for their families. He is aware he is more fortunate than most.
That’s Freddie the father talking. Freddie the baseball player is the other f