"When your mother is singing a whole different national anthem" - Freddie Freeman reveals emotional connection to representing Canada

Freddie Freeman is the first baseman of the LA Dodgers and one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball. His participation for Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was about more than just professional accomplishments. It was about his late mother, Rosemary, and her Canadian heritage.

In a documentary on TSN called, "Why Freddie Freeman Represents Canada at the World Baseball Classic," Freeman named his reasons for joining the Canadian national team, saying:

"When your mother's singing a whole different national anthem and knowing every word for it and has so much pride in singing that national anthem, it's just something that you never forget."

Rosemary, who loved her homeland of Canada, instilled in him a sense of identification with Canada from his early days.

"Putting on a Canada uniform and honoring my mother is probably going to be one of the most meaningful things that I will ever do," said Freddie Freeman.

"It's more than just pride. There's something, there's a motivation, like a spiritual motivation," he added.

Representing Canada in the World Baseball Classic became a way for Freeman to honor his mother’s memory.

"When I see that 'Freeman' and 'five' in red and white, I really don't know what I'm going to feel. I just want to be able to go out there and play for her," said Freeman.

"He Thinks of Her Every Single Day" - Freddie Freeman's Father on the Unbreakable Bond Between Mother and Son

Freddie Freeman’s father recalled the pride Rosemary felt for her homeland. Those sentiments stayed with Freddie, who grew up admiring his mother’s pride in Canada.

"He thinks of her every single day. A day doesn't go by without thinking, you know, especially now he has a child—you know how proud she'd be," said Freeman's father.

"When we were at the game, she always sang the Canadian anthem," he added.

Freeman, a new dad himself, feels like he is even more with his mom now. Early memories with his mother and her unwavering support for his baseball dreams fueled his desire to honor her.