Rant #2,008: Good Thing

It is a rare occasion that tears come to my eyes, in particular in the morning.

Sure, I have to go to work, but I don't cry about it (at least on the outside).

But I heard about this story as I turned my TV on, and I just felt that I had to write about it today.

Even if you are not a sports fan, this story, on the morning of the day that the World Series between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers is set to start, is sure to touch your heart.

We have all read about the wildfires in California that have burned thousands of acres of land and have destroyed thousands of homes.

One of those homes was where nine-year-old Loren Jaden Smith lived. Not only did these fires destroy his home, but it took away from him and his family many personal belongings, things that a price cannot be attached to.

Smith is a huge baseball fan, and is devoted to the Oakland A's. Among other things, the fires took away his baseball card collection.

The Little Leaguer decided to write a letter--hand written, of course, since his family's computer is also gone--to the A's, telling them of his plight.

A local TV station got wind of the letter, and forwarded it directly to the A's president, Dave Kaval. The letter was also read by a number of A's ballplayers.

The letter also became viral, and many others read of young Smith's plight. The A's put up an address for donations.

What happened next was incredible.

Not only did the A's outfit the entire Smith family with team uniforms, but they provided the Little Leaguer with a treasure trove of memorabilia--not only baseball cards, but everything else under the sun, including autographed balls, pillows, yearbooks and even stuff from other major and minor league teams, which donated items to the young fan upon hearing of his plight.

The A's set up a meeting between young Smith and a few A's ballplayers, and promised other surprises when the meeting was held.

With cameras rolling, the A's not only invited Smith to throw out the first pitch at a 2018 game, they also provided him and his family with season tickets for the upcoming season.

After young Smith thanked the A's for what they did, he proceeded to give away many of the things he was given to his friends--other kids who lost their homes in the wildfires.

The A's have donated more than $450,000 to the relief efforts in California, but you can bet that their donations to Smith and his family--and the donations made by other teams to the kid--will be their most prominent move this off season.

And what does the Little Leaguer say about all of this? His wish is that the A's make the World Series again. They have not been in the Series for over 30 years.

Although I am a Yankees fan, here's hoping that this kid gets his wish somewhere down the line.