Freddie Freeman is returning to his family roots as the Los Angeles Dodgers take the final steps in their bid to become the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the American League’s New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000.
The Dodgers, fresh off a record-extending 26th NL pennant, will be on the road against the AL champion Toronto Blue Jays for the first two games of this year’s World Series, starting with the best-of-seven showdown’s opener Friday night at Rogers Centre.
Still, it might feel a little bit like home for Freeman.
The nine-time MLB All-Star first baseman’s parents are from the province of Ontario. His father, Fred, is from Windsor; his late mother, Rosemary, was from Peterborough, about 85 miles northeast of Toronto.
“Every time I go back there,” Freeman said, “I feel a little bit closer to my mom.”