Nicknamed "Starvin\' Marvin" for 180 pounds on a 6–6 frame, Freeman worked at Chicago\'s John Norwood Lee Co. making concert-quality violin bows, while attending Chicago Vocational High School. Freeman played collegiately at Jackson State University. He was drafted as the #2 pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1984. He made his MLB debut in 1986 and won his first game against the New York Mets on September 21, 1986. Freeman won his first career decision (second start) on the day his first child was born.\n', "

He was traded to the Atlanta Braves for Joe Boever in 1990. He served as the primary Set-up for the two-time NL Champs. He returned to the starting rotation in 1994 after moving to the Colorado Rockies as a free agent. Marvin Freeman began his professional career in 1984 after being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the second round of that year's amateur draft out of Jackson State University. He was originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in the ninth round of the '81 draft, but did not sign. Freeman debuted that year in short-season A-ball for Bend of the Northwest league, going 8-5 with a 2.61 ERA. He allowed just 64 hits in 89.2 innings, but did walk 5.2 batters per nine. That would be a continuing theme throughout Marvin's minor league career, as he never posted a K/BB ratio higher than 1.74, and often walked more batters than he struck out – such as in 1985 at Reading, where after getting promoted to AA, he proceeded to walk 52 batters while striking out just 35. Still, the Phillies saw something in the young righty, as he was more or less unhittable during his first few years in the minors.\n", '

After posting a win-loss record of 13-6 and an ERA of 4.03 in 27 starts in AA in 1986, Freeman got the call to the big club, debuting with the Phillies on September 16. Across three starts, he went 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA, despite walking more batters (10) than he struck out (8). His first win also came on the same day that his first daughter was born. Freeman would spend three and a half more seasons with the Phillies organization, bouncing between AAA and the majors (and throwing a no-hitter for the Maine Guides in the process), before being traded to the Atlanta Braves for Joe Boever before the deadline in 1990.\n', "

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