"I was this close to being parentless" - When Freddie Freeman fought back tears recalling near loss of his father at 12 after losing mother to cancer
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is having a postseason to remember. The All-Star slugger has helped the NL West team to a 3-0 World Series lead after home runs in all three games against the New York Yankees.
Freeman has been one of the most recognizable faces in MLB since his World Series triumph with the Atlanta Braves. However, things could've been very different for the former NL MVP when he was just 12 years old.
During a 2021 interview with ESPN for the "Full Circle: The Freddie Freeman Story," the eight-time All-Star shared how he came close to losing his father after his mother's death.
Freddie Freeman recounted how his father came close to a heart failure and would have died in his sleep, had he not been rushed to the hospital. The doctor later told him his father survived because he received treatment just in time. Freeman broke down during the emotional story.
"I was this close to being parentless at 12," Freeman said, holding back his tears.
Freddie's father Frederick also recalled the incident in the interview, acknowledging his son's effort in saving his life.
"Freddie actually saved my life that night," Frederick said.
Freddie Freeman's parents married in 1976 and had three children, Edward, Phillip and Freddie. Freddie's mother Rosemary died after battling melanoma, a type of skin cancer, when the Dodgers star was 10 years old.
Freddie Freeman dedicates walk-off grand slam to father
Freddie Freeman etched his name into the history books, becoming the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in the World Series to take Game 1 against the Yankees.
Following his historic home run, the former World Series winner credited his dad, who was at the Dodger Stadium to witness the game-clinching hit.
"My swing is because of him, my approach is because of him, I am who I am because of him… 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," Freeman said during his postgame press conference.
Freddie Freeman's heroics weren't limited to just the World Series opener. The Dodgers star made it four home runs in four World Series games this year after a two-run homer off Yankees starter Luis Gil in Game 4 on Tuesday.