Atlanta Braves: Freddie Freeman to Play in World Baseball Classic?

The Atlanta Braves’ first baseman Freddie Freeman may play for Canada in the World Baseball Classic

The Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is getting close to a commitment to play for Canada in the World Baseball Classic. While most fans never like to see their team’s best player risk injury in a game that doesn’t count for anything in Major League Baseball it is hard to find any fault with Freeman’s reasoning for joining Team Canada.

Freddie Freeman is expected to play in tribute to his late mother who passed away in 2000 when Freeman was only ten years old. Freeman’s mom was born in Toronto and raised in Ontario. Freeman’s reasoning for playing with Canada if these reports are true are hard to find any fault with and very understandable and will give fans a chance to watch the fan favorite play outside of the regular season.

In 2015 Freddie Freeman had this to say of possibly playing with Canada in the World Baseball Classic:    “That’s always been a dream of mine. I want to represent Canada so I can represent my mother. Canada has some good first basemen in [Joey] Votto and [Justin] Morneau, so I might have to just wait my turn, but hopefully I’ll get to do it one day.”

Freeman is coming off his best career season and will look to lead a re-worked Braves’ lineup in 2017 as they continue to re-build and attempt to build a team that can compete for many years to come. Freeman is the Braves’ face of the franchise and while it may be worrisome for him to play in games outside of a Braves’ uniform it is a good idea for even better reasons considering Freeman’s reasoning for joining Team Canada.

Canada will go up against Freeman’s native country when he goes up against USA’s team March 12th at Marlin’s park. Team Canada is highlighted by Russell Martin and Freddie Freeman.

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Braves’ pitcher Jaime Garcia is expected to take part in the World Baseball Classic as well pitching for Mexico this spring.