Dodgers' Freddie Freeman Gets Honest About Mom's Death in New Documentary

Tuesday, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman will make his ninth All-Star appearance as the starting first baseman for the National League.

The return to Atlanta figures to be an emotional moment for Freeman, who spent the first 12 of his 16 major league seasons with the Braves.

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Two days later, Freeman will open up about what might have been the most emotional moment of his life.

MLB Network will debut Driven: The Freddie Freeman Story next Thursday at 5 p.m. PT. The 90-minute film profiles his gratitude for his family, resilience through hardship, and ongoing pursuit of greatness.

Perhaps the greatest hardship of Freeman's life was when his mother, Rosemary, succumbed to cancer when the future star was just 10 years old.

Freeman has spoken about losing his mother before. But in an interview this week with MLB Network, he provided important context for the grief he explores in the documentary.

“Obviously (my father and I) talk about my mom, too," Freeman said of Driven: The Freddie Freeman Story. "You can hear my mom’s voice in videos when I’m coming down a water slide when I’ve got to be 3 or 4 years old. Hearing my mom’s voice again, that’s what kind of gets me, and gets me all emotional."

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“You guys know I like to cry and stuff – it just pulls at my heartstrings," Freeman continued. "I miss my mom a ton. Seeing her in the videos and hearing my dad talk about how he thinks I’ve never really gotten over it, which I haven’t."

Freeman, 35, said he hopes his story can inspire others who have lost a parent early in life to overcome their own grief.

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"There’s so many different routes and roads you can take in life, and so many hardships that happen, and you’re still able to get through it," he said. "See my dad get through it, raise three boys as a single dad, mourn the loss of his wife, and just keep going. Hopefully it’s an inspiration to a lot of people that have lost a parent as a young kid, that you can find the right path and succeed in life.”

Freeman is hitting .299 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs going into the Dodgers' opener in San Francisco on Friday. He leads all active players in runs (1,343), hits (2,358), doubles (531), RBIs (1,279) and total bases (4,012).

The Dodgers signed Freeman to a six-year, $162 million contract in 2022. He's under contract through 2027 at $27 million per season.

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