This story was excerpted from Thomas Harding’s Rockies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
DENVER -- Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland made generosity a team sport, rather than an individual act this year.
With the Rangers in town on May 19, Freeland and Texas' Jake Burger teamed up for a special day for children with Down syndrome: a day at GiGi’s Playhouse Denver, through the Jake Burger Family Foundation.
The second daughter of Jake and Ashlyn Burger – Penelope, born Oct. 25, 2024 – has Down syndrome and sparked the Burgers to act through their Burger Family Foundation. Freeland and his wife, Ashley, have long been active participants in Special Olympics Colorado.
This partnership has been recognized by Major League Baseball through nominations for the Roberto Clemente Award. Burger is the Rangers’ 2026 nominee. Freeland is the Rockies’ nominee – for the fifth straight year.
Teaming with Burger was a special addition to an already full schedule for the Freelands when it comes to humanitarian acts.
“We got to spend time with a lot of those kids, and later in the year Ashley and I were able to walk a 5K for GiGi’s Playhouse,” Freeland said. “We got to see some of those kids and their families again, and that had a big impact right there."
Freeland, a Denver native in his 10th year in a Rockies uniform, found himself drawn to Special Olympics during Rookie-level play at Grand Junction in 2014, the year the Rockies selected him in the first round of the MLB Draft out of the University of Evansville. Freeland’s dedication accelerated during a 2019 road trip to Seattle, when he spent a day cheering Colorado’s participants at a national event. For years, with the help of other Major Leaguers who donate items, Freeland has raffled off game-used and other items to raise money for Special Olympics Colorado.
During this season, the Freelands hosted medalists from the Special Olympics national event in a suite at Coors Field.
The point for Freeland is that it never gets old.
Before Freeland made the Rockies’ Roberto Clemente Award Nomination his annual celebration, former infielder/outfielder Ian Desmond had a five-year grip on it of his own. Desmond was one of the veterans in the clubhouse when Freeland broke in at the start of the 2017 season, and Freeland watched and listened.
This is the last year of Freeland’s contract with the Rockies, which means a return is uncertain at best. Freeland has a huge say, and he will be a free agent for the first time.
Maybe there is a Rockies player watching and listening to Freeland, the way he followed Desmond. But even if someone else is next year’s award nominee, the Freelands’ presence will be felt in Denver.
“Regardless where we are, we’re always going to connect to the community, with me being from here and us being here for the past 10 years,” Freeland said. “We’ve obviously set some deep roots inside Special Olympics Colorado and the community in general. Special Olympics always will welcome us with open arms, and we want to come back and help out.
“Plus, we’ve created such a great relationship with GiGi’s Playhouse, and with Jake Burger; we’ll be able to continue to do that as well.”
The winner of the Roberto Clemente Award will be honored at the 2026 World Series. The panel that will choose the winner includes representatives from the Commissioner’s Office, Capital One, MLB-affiliated networks (MLB Network, FOX Sports, ESPN and TBS), MLB.com, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Roberto’s children – Enrique, Luis and Roberto Jr.