Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman recently returned to the diamond after missing time to be with his son in the hospital. As the Freeman family battled through the scary experience, Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper wanted to ensure that they know he has their backs.
Harper texted Freeman throughout his son's stay at the hospital. They may be on two different teams with World Series hopes, but Harper knows some things are bigger than baseball, via Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“Whenever you hear about somebody's kids or anybody that's going through something, there's nothing more important than having healthy children,” Harper said. “There's a lot of things in life that you wish you want, but the biggest thing is making sure your family is healthy.”
“I was checking on him, obviously,” Harper continued. “It's so much bigger than the game is and I love Freddie as a human being, as a person, and his whole family, Chelsea and all of his kids. He's a good person, I just wanted to make sure he was OK. Check in on Max too.”
Freeman's three-year-old son Max was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. A rare disease that sees the immune system attack the nervous system, Max went into full body paralysis on July 26. Freeman then abruptly left the team to be with his family.
But Max continued to fight, and on Aug 4 – after an eight day battle in the hospital – Freeman's son was able to go home. He had won his battle, and the Dodgers saw their first baseman make his return on Aug 6.
Throughout the entire process, Bryce Harper just wanted to make sure Freeman and his family were doing okay. In an unthinkable situation, Harper knew he had to support his friend. When they meet on the diamond, winning is the only thought. But when things get personal, especially with kids, Harper and Freeman know to through party lines out the window.
Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper grow up through MLB
Freddie Freeman made his major league debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2010. Bryce Harper made his two years later with the Washington Nationals. They both played inside the NL East from 2012-2021 before Freeman left for the Dodgers.
While they're now in two separate divisions, they have played together on the NL All-Star team. In both 2022 and 2024 both players were named All-Stars.
As the regular season concludes, the Dodgers and Phillies are considered two of the strongest contenders to win the World Series. Both Freeman and Harper have played a large role in getting their teams to that point. Come playoff time, it'll be a war. But once the aura of competition wears away, Freeman and Harper are truly brothers through the game of baseball.
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