The New York chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voted Freddie Freeman as the winner of the 2024 Arthur and Milton Richman You Gotta Have Heart Award, which is presented annually to a member of the baseball community who has overcome difficult circumstances.
Freeman was formally recognized on Saturday night during the 100th annual New York Baseball Writers’ Dinner at the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan, where all 2024 BBWAA winners were celebrated.
The Los Angeles Dodgers also had winners in Shohei Ohtani, the 2024 National League MVP, and Mookie Betts being voted the Babe Ruth Award winner as postseason MVP.
None of the three were in attendance, however. Ohtani recorded a video message for his NL MVP acceptance speech as he remained in Southern California due to being impacted by the recent wildfires.
Meanwhile, Betts is visiting Japan and recently surprised a group of students at an elementary school.
Freeman, his wife Chelsea, and their family navigated a trying year as their son, Max, endured a battle with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.
Max and his two brothers, Charlie and Brandon, all fell ill during All-Star Week festivities. Max’s condition worsened and prompted an emergency visit to the hospital.
Doctors initially were unable to give the Freemans much clarity, but additional follow-up visits ultimately led to a diagnosis.
Freeman took time away from the Dodgers in order to be with his family. Freeman missed eight games before returning in early August, which he detailed at the time was only feasible because Max had showed remarkable improvement.
The All-Star first baseman remained with the team to finish out the season but endured challenges on the field as he suffered a sprained right ankle on Sept. 26 and tore rib cartilage as the Dodgers were on the eve of beginning their postseason run.
Freeman was limited at times through the NL Championship Series but benefitted from time off before the World Series started and put together a remarkable performance.
Freeman memorably hit a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 and among other accolades, tied a record with 12 total RBI against the New York Yankees en route to earning World Series MVP honors.
Freddie Freeman & wife donate to wildfire relief
Freddie and Chelsea Freeman recently pledged a $300,000 donation that was evenly split between the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Pasadena Fire Department and Salvation Army, as they sought to support wildfire relief efforts.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
