Elementary school in Denver looks familiar to Freeland

Rockies lefty a big hit at Holm, which cheers his return

Susan Freeland wasn’t prepared for the emotions that rushed over her Thursday morning when her son, Kyle, walked into the gymnasium at Holm Elementary School.

“I didn’t expect that, not at all,” she said. “As many times as I’ve seen Kyle here at this school, and as many times as I’ve seen him pitch, you wouldn’t think it would get to me. Maybe it was just the reaction of the kids, I don’t know. But it was special, very emotional.”

And very loud.

The applause sounded like a thunderclap when Kyle Freeland, the Rockies’ up-and-coming left-handed starter, was joined by teammates Jon Gray and Pat Valaika at the southeast Denver school. The three are taking part in the Rockies’ annual winter caravan.

Holm Elementary is hollowed ground for the Freeland family. Susan has worked as a secretary there since 2001, when Kyle was a third-grader just itching to get into the gym or out to the playground to throw a baseball.

“I’ve come back here a few times through the years,” Kyle Freeland said. “But doing this today, with this event, makes me realize how special the years here were, and how much they meant to me.”

It wasn’t just the kids wearing Rockies purple who opened their arms to Freeland on Thursday — so did teachers and other staff members. The 6-foot-4 lefty posed for a lot of selfies and gave out plenty of hugs.

“Kyle’s still like a baby to me,” said Nickie Tzimapitis, a fourth-grade teacher who remembers Freeland with great fondness. “He was always very dedicated and very motivated. He tried his best — always. He just never gave up.

“I remember all of the practices he went to for baseball and being so involved in the sport. He was just an amazing student.”

After attending Holm Elementary, Freeland moved next door to Hamilton Middle School and then moved on to Thomas Jefferson High School, where he became a star athlete. Last season, his first with the Rockies, he finished 11-11 with a 4.10 ERA, tied for first among major-league rookies for victories and seventh in strikeouts (107).

Freeland wasn’t the only one taking center stage Thursday. Gray, the Rockies’ hard-throwing right-hander, and Valaika, a utility player, also interacted with the students who gathered for an assembly in the jam-packed gym. The players encouraged the kids to respect each other, steer clear of drugs and speak out against bullies.

“This is a great opportunity and a lot of fun to be a part of,” Gray said. “I can’t imagine what this must be like for Kyle, coming back here to his old elementary school. And to the place where his mom works? This is pretty cool.”

The morning’s events included a modified indoor “baseball game,” with Freeland, Gray and Valaika leading the way. The day concluded with secondgrader Anthony Gonzalez getting highfives and a baseball signed by the trio of Rockies.

It was hard to tell who had the biggest smile on their face — Freeland, his mom, or little Anthony.