Their dads put on the same jersey every night. They share the same name (albeit with different spellings). Could there one day be a second coming of the Freeman-Kershaw pairing on an MLB field?
Charlie (Freeman) and Charley (Kershaw) certainly look like they could have promising baseball careers ahead of them, and they took over Citi Field before their fathers faced off against the Mets this weekend for a mini showcase of sorts.
With Kershaw looking on calling balls and strikes, Charley stepped into the box against Charlie to see a few pitches. The younger Freeman looks like he's already capable of stuffing the zone with strikes, but neither youngster was limiting himself to just pitching or just hitting (We're guessing their dads might be showing them footage of a certain someone who plays for that other Los Angeles team).
Charley Kershaw showed off a windup quite similar to his three-time Cy Young Award-winning father's, although it's like literally looking in a mirror because Charley throws right-handed. He even took a few grounders at shortstop and, of course, was right by his dad's side while Clayton, who is working his way back from left shoulder soreness, threw on flat ground in the outfield.
Before Friday's game, Charlie Freeman proved he can slug just like his dad, wearing No. 5 on his back and connecting on some swings that seemed to surprise even Freddie, who was pitching to him.
Baseball is uniquely a family game, passed down through generations. We just saw Vladimir Guerrero Jr. join his Hall of Fame dad as the only father-son duo to win the Home Run Derby title. Jackson Holliday, the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, is the No. 1 prospect in baseball. Check back in some 15 years down the road to see if Charley Kershaw and Charlie Freeman can keep the legacy alive.