ATLANTA — After a 6-5 win from the Braves against the Pittsburg Pirates Thursday, first basemen, Freddie Freeman posted a photo on Twitter.
The photo shows the inside of Freeman's cleats with the initials "RJF" and the date - June 13, 2000. This was the day Freeman lost his mother to skin cancer, 19 years ago.
Freeman was just 4 years old when his mother was first diagnosed with melanoma. She initially fought off the skin cancer without any trouble. However, it was still there waiting for its chance to attack. Nearly five years later, it claimed her life.
Now, Freeman keeps his mother's initials in his cleats, and wears long sleeves on the field to serve as a reminder of her. He even wears a necklace with a piece of her hair inside of it, to keep her memory alive.
The first baseman uses the sport as an outlet to honor his mother, and his actions on the field are always dedicated to her.
Freeman told The Shared Grief Project in an interview, "I know she's up there watching me every single day, and she knows I'm thinking about her. I just want to make her proud."
As a three-time MLB All-Star, Freeman continues to thank his mother for his successes, and pays tribute to her by telling people about her and what a wonderful mother she was.