A-Rod gives home run bat to young Red Sox fan who lost his father
If you’re looking for a feel-good story to start your Saturday, allow us to tell you how New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez made the day of a young Boston Red Sox fan named David Moss.
As Chris Landers from MLB’s Cut 4 tells us, the story actually goes back to last season, when David’s father, Andy Moss, was diagnosed with cancer. Andy had hoped to bring his family to Fenway Park just one time so his young son could meet his hero, David Ortiz. Unfortunately, he didn’t live long enough to see that dream come true, as he succumbed to his disease last September.
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Knowing what it meant to his family, young David fought to keep the dream in honor of his father. That led to Friday night in Boston, where David Moss, his mother and sister were welcomed to Fenway Park to celebrate his eighth birthday.
The Red Sox really rolled out the red carpet for Moss and his family, allowing them to hang out with the team during batting practice. It was there that young David finally met David Ortiz, and from that meeting would come a gift that he’ll never forget.
After meeting Moss, it’s noted that Ortiz shared his story with Alex Rodriguez. Before his first-inning at-bat. Rodriguez then spotted Moss sitting near the Yankees dugout. When he went over to say hello, Moss asked if it was possible that he could have his bat as a memento. A-Rod agreed, but only if that bat produced a home run during Friday’s game.
It didn’t take long. In his very first at-bat, A-Rod launched one over the Green Monster as he’s done so many times before, and upon his return to the dugout that bat belonged to David Moss.
We get the feeling that bat or another bat would have been gifted to Moss either way, but it’s pretty awesome that A-Rod got one last home run out of it before parting. .
As always, you’re entitled to feel however you want about how A-Rod has conducted his business in the past. He doesn’t have a clean image, but he does have a clear understanding of how to give back and how to make people feel good. To do this for David Moss, who was there to celebrate a birthday and to honor his father, makes it one of the coolest gestures we’ve seen in a long time.
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It says a lot about A-Rod, but this story says even more about David Moss. He lost one of the most important figures in his life just seven months ago, but he’s staying strong and showing everybody how important it is to keep on going, no matter the circumstances.
Oh, in case you were wondering, there was a feel-good ending here too. Boston won 4-2 on David Ortiz’s two-run homer in the eighth inning. Whoever was writing this script did one amazing job.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
