The Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers may very well be the two best teams in the National League.
The two power clubs just wrapped up an eventful series that saw plenty of drama, fireworks, and even an ejection.
However, the most touching moment of the series came when Dodgers star Freddie Freeman made his return to the lineup following time away to be with his son.
In the heat of the World Series chase, two baseball stars are demonstrating that some things transcend the game.
As it turns out, Phillies star Bryce Harper reached out to Freeman, who of course had taken a break from the team to be with his son during a medical crisis.
Freeman’s three-year-old son, Max, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare and severe condition that led to his full body paralysis on July 26.
Freeman immediately left the team to support his family during the painfully distressing time.
Throughout Max’s hospital stay, Harper consistently checked in on Freeman, providing moral support. Despite being on rival teams, Harper felt it was crucial to stand by Freeman during this challenging period.
“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.”
After an eight-day hospital stay, Max showed remarkable resilience and was able to go home on August 4.
Freeman returned to the Dodgers lineup on August 6, bringing a sense of relief and joy to the team and fans.
Harper’s actions highlight the deep camaraderie between the two players, which has grown over their years in Major League Baseball.
Freeman debuted with the Atlanta Braves in 2010, and Harper followed two years later with the Washington Nationals.
Their paths crossed frequently in the NL East until Freeman joined the Dodgers in 2021.
Despite now being in different divisions, their friendship remains strong, bolstered by shared experiences on the NL All-Star team in both 2022 and 2024.
As the regular season winds down, both the Phillies and Dodgers are top contenders for the World Series.
Harper and Freeman play pivotal roles in their teams’ success, and their mutual respect and friendship add a layer of human interest to the fierce competition.
In many ways, it feels like the Phillies and Dodgers are on a collision course … How fun would that be???
Little Max continues to be in our thoughts, and we wish nothing but the best for him and the entire Freeman family going forward.