Freddie Freeman is generally held in high regard among Canadian baseball fans.
Although the star first baseman was born in California, he represented Canada in the World Baseball Classic in 2017 and 2023 to honor his late mother Rosemary, who was from Peterborough, Ont.
However, on Friday, when Los Angeles Dodgers Arriving in Toronto for Game 1 of the World Series, Freeman knows who the crowd's loyalties will be.
“I'm not sure the Canadian fans, the Blue Jays fans, are going to root for me this time like they did at the WBC the last couple times,” Freeman told reporters via Zoom on Tuesday.
However, a potential change in fan attitudes won't dampen Freeman's feelings about visiting his parents' house.
“But this is something special: both of my parents were born and raised in Canada, specifically in the province of Ontario,” Freeman said. “My mom is from Toronto, my dad is from Windsor, so it’s something special.
“You know, every time I go there, you get this feeling inside that you feel a little closer to my mom. So I'm looking forward to it, I'm excited. Every time I go there, I always take this little envelope from my locker and it's always like the photos of my second cousin who found the photos in the garage and brings them to me. I love coming back to Toronto, it's a special place for my family and every time I go back I feel a little closer to my mom. Mother. So I'm looking forward to getting there tomorrow.”
Freeman had one home run in October, and his .231/.333/.410 slash line is well below his postseason career numbers. But he was just one season away from hitting four home runs in the Fall Classic and earning World Series MVP honors.
The 36-year-old has yet to achieve similar success at the WBC in Canada, scoring four singles goals in 21 fights across two tournaments, but he could look to add to his international resume at the next tournament in March 2026.
