El Modena High School hit a home run when it received half a million dollars from Freddie Freeman, an alumnus and first baseman with the Los Angeles Dodgers, to contribute to the construction of a $1.6 million baseball clubhouse.
On March 26, the pro athlete and his family were joined by past and present El Modena Vanguard baseball coaches, players and their families, along with administrators from the Orange Unified School District and community members, to commemorate the ribbon-cutting and unveiling of the new Freddie Freeman Clubhouse, bearing his name.
“When I was able to be blessed enough to have the resources to do something like this, that’s what I wanted to create,” said Freeman. “The relationships, the bonds, the stories — everything you share in that clubhouse is special. That’s what’s going to last forever. That’s what it’s all about for me.”
According to Orange Unified, the Freemans’ charitable contribution in 2022 is the most generous donation from a private donor it has ever received. The entire project cost $1.6 million, with $1.1 million coming from the district.
“It would be so easy with your career and family commitments to move on and forget about your past, but you are rooted to this school, and you choose to embrace it for the benefit of every Vanguard after you who will enjoy what you provided and will hopefully be inspired to provide for others as you have,” said former EMHS Head Baseball Coach Steve Bernard.
“May we all be inspired to make a difference, to show how we care about the well-being and happiness of others as much as Freddie has shown us.”
The new 1,440-square-foot modular baseball clubhouse features a locker room, a team meeting area with monitors, a coaches’ office and larger batting cages. Adorning the building’s exterior is a mural of Freeman in a Vanguard uniform, accompanied by a list of his accolades.
The district’s Board of Education is expected to officially approve the new facility’s name at their regular meeting on April 11.