Freddie Freeman is among the finalists for the 2025 Lou Gehrig Award, which is presented annually bythe Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity to the player who best exemplifies the spirit and character of the beloved New York Yankees Hall of Famer, both on and off the field.
Gehrig was a distinguished member of Phi Delta Theta and the award was created to acknowledge an individual player’s outstanding commitment to both his community and philanthropy. Since the award’s inception in 1955, the name of each recipient has been placed on the permanent Lou Gehrig Memorial Award plaque at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Phi Delta Theta Fraternity partners with the Live Like Lou Foundation and the Permobil Foundation to recognize finalists for the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award each season.
Atlanta Braves’ Chris Sale won the award in 2024.
In addition to Freeman, this year’s group of 20 finalists for the Lou Gehrig Award includes Kansas City Royals All-Star Bobby Witt Jr., Gerrit Cole of the Yankees, Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks, among others.
Freddie Freeman, Dodgers gift wheelchair
As part of being a finalist for the Lou Gehrig Memorial award, the selected player and their respective team has an opportunity to surprise an individual who is battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with a custom Permobil wheelchair.
Freeman and the Dodgers presented their team-branded wheelchair to Jason Ramirez, a former varsity baseball coach at Whittier High School. Ramirez was diagnosed with ALS in 2023, which ended his 20-year career.
Ramirez was recognized during an on-field ceremony before the Dodgers’ home game on June 2, which was celebrated as Lou Gehrig Day throughout MLB.
Ramirez was accompanied by family members and became emotional as Dodger Stadium public address announcer Todd Leitz shared his story and the custom Dodgers wheelchair was autographed by Freeman.
Freeman and his wife Chelsea have long been active in the community and continued their efforts last year in the wake of one of their sons, Max, being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.
Last month, the Freemans donated $1 million to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County Foundation.
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