MILWAUKEE – My question to Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was straightforward: Is he worried his quest for 3,000 hits might be interrupted by a lockout that forces the cancellation of games next season?Freeman, 36, answered as you might expect, saying he hopes the owners and players reach a new collective-bargaining agreement without that kind of disruption. He then took the conversation in a different direction, expressing a more profound concern about sticking around long enough to get the 519 hits necessary for 3,000.“Obviously, getting 3,000 hits would be very, very cool,” Freeman said. “But ever since baby girl came into this world about a month ago, my perspective has changed a little bit on individual stats and how long I would want to play.”On April 19, Freeman and his wife, Chelsea, became parents to their fourth child and first daughter, London. One of London’s middle names, Rosemary, is in honor of Freeman’s mother, who died of melanoma when he was 10.Freeman said he still plans to play three more seasons after this one, provided he remains healthy and productive. But he already has spoken with Chelsea about the pangs of regret he is experiencing being away from London.Leaving for road trips without his sons – Charlie, 9; Brendan, 5; and Maximus, 5 – also is difficult, Freeman said. But the boys love baseball and like watching him play. London will have few memories, if any, of her father in uniform even if he reaches his goal of completing 20 major-league seasons and playing until age 40.“I’m missing things for something she’ll never know,” Freeman said. “She’s not going to know I missed these things either. But it weighs on me and my heart. I think everybody who knows me knows it weighs on me hard.“All I ever wanted was a family. But all I ever wanted to do was play baseball, too. It’s such a hard thing, it really is.”Freeman knows countless people sacrifice family time to put food on the table, many by traveling for work. He understands he is more fortunate than most. His career earnings by the time his contract with the Dodgers expires after next season will be nearly $300 million.Yet, even though he is a nine-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion and former National League MVP and World Series MVP, he has the same conflicting emotions as any parent who spends time away from their child.“I don’t like seeing my daughter grow up on a FaceTime call,” Freeman said. “When I’m sitting in a hotel room by myself at night after a game, I’m just like, ‘Oh man, what am I doing?’“I’m not trying to sound like it’s just me. Believe me, I get it. But when you’ve done a job for as long as I have and achieved almost everything, to be still missing things, that’s what’s hard on older guys in this game.”