On a day when the baseball world paused to celebrate moms everywhere, Freddie Freeman made sure his late mother, Rosemary, was remembered in the most powerful way he knows — with his bat.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ first baseman delivered a vintage performance on Mother’s Day at Chase Field, going 4-for-4 at the plate, touching home plate twice, driving in three RBIs, and capping it off with a 405-foot homer over right center — all in an 8-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But beyond the box score, the day carried deeper meaning.
“I know my mom is looking down, having a great time, especially after one of these games,” Freeman told Dodgers reporter Kristen Watson following the win. “Mother’s Day was a sad day for me for a long time. But now that Chelsea and I have three boys, Mother’s Days are quite happy. Mother’s Day is a great time.”
Freeman lost his mother to melanoma in 2000 when he was just 10 years old. She was only 47. Her memory has continued to shape the man and player he’s become. In past interviews, Freeman has spoken candidly about the emotional weight of growing up without her — and how baseball became both an outlet and a source of healing.
“My mom was my rock,” he once shared. “She did everything she could to make sure I was doing what I loved, and what I loved was baseball.”
Raised by his father in Orange County after Rosemary’s passing, Freeman blossomed into a high school standout, earning 2007 Player of the Year honors from The Orange County Register before committing to Cal State Fullerton. Since then, he’s carved out a remarkable Major League career that includes two World Series championships and membership in the exclusive 3,000-hit club as of last month.
On Sunday, all that took a back seat to something more personal. His performance was not just about stats. It was a heartfelt tribute — a reminder of the quiet strength behind every big swing and the mothers who inspire greatness from behind the scenes or above.