Last August, Freddie Freeman and his wife Chelsea pledged a $500,000 donation to El Modena High School that would be used to build a new baseball clubhouse which will include a locker room, team meeting area, coach’s office and extended batting cages in the 1,440 square foot space.
The Freemans, along with their son Charlie, recently visited the Orange County school, and Chelsea offered a glimpse at the old locker room that is being renovated. The $1.1 million projected is expected to be completed this summer.
“Mr. Freeman’s pledge to donate $500,000 is the most generous contribution the district has received from a private donor. We appreciate his support of our students and his alma mater, El Modena High School,” Deputy Superintendent/CBO David A. Rivera said at the time of the announcement.
“We are very proud of the wonderful example he is to our community and young people, and the kind of individual we hope to nurture in Orange Unified.”
Even before signing a six-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Freeman would regularly train at his alma mater during the offseason.
Freeman was back there this past winter, with his father again throwing batting practice.
“Going to a baseball field with your dad, it’s kind of our sanctuary,” Freeman said during the 2023 Dodgers Love L.A. Community Tour. “We’ve been doing it for a long time, as you guys know, 21 years ago.
“When you go to the field with your dad and start working, you kind of forget about everything going on. That’s a special bond my dad and I have. As long as he can still pick his arm up, I’m going to ask him to keep throwing to me in the offseason because it’s worked out pretty well for a long time.
“He’s still got a good arm, still can throw me batting practice. As long as he wants to keep doing it, I’m going to make sure he’s doing it.”
Freddie Freeman: Dodgers remain talented & NL West favorite
Although much was made of the mass exodus in free agency, Freeman is confident in the Dodgers roster and their standing as the reigning National League West champions.
“The division is still ours until we lose, right?” he said. “We retook it last year. I think our team is very, very good. When you’ve got Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Max Muncy, J.D. Martinez, and then you can just roll off our pitching. I think we’ve still got a really good team.”
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