OAKLAND -- August Wold's biggest wish was to play for the Oakland A's. On Saturday, that dream became a reality.
The A's and Make-A-Wish teamed up to give the 8-year-old a day he'll never forget. August donned his own personalized uniform, met the team, and signed a one-day player contract in a press conference alongside general manager David Forst.
"It feels good," August told a full crowd of reporters.
August officially signs with GM David Forst and the A's, surrounded by his teammates. pic.twitter.com/pC0Riyb3gX— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 28, 2019
August, who hails from Redding, suffers from Hirschsprung's disease, a rare birth defect where there is an absence of certain nerve cells in an infant's bowel. His father George says his son has been forced to undergo more surgeries than he can remember, but it hasn't kept him from excelling on the baseball field.
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"He loves baseball," George said. "And he's a good player. Our (Little League) team was undefeated up there and he was probably one of the best players on the team."
August got to watch batting practice on the field and received several goodies from his favorite players. Matt Chapman gave him a bat, Matt Olson a glove, and Ramón Laureano presented him with a Nintendo Switch after playing catch. August also got to talk to Khris Davis and Marcus Semien.
Ramón Laureano surprises August with a Nintendo Switch. This day gets better and better. pic.twitter.com/fOPUSNcdQo— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 27, 2019
Prior to first pitch between the A's and Rangers, August stepped into the batter's box for the first hit of the game. He smashed Jurickson Profar's pitch for a single and sprinted to first base.
August singles for the game's "first hit." Way to go August! pic.twitter.com/GsoBnrpEo1— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 28, 2019
"This is phenomenal," George said. "It's going to be crazy to hear about it now because we're going to hear about that the rest of our lives now. You know, 'Matt Chapman gave me his bat.' Just talking with all those guys, it was just phenomenal. They were all so good with him -- playing catch with him and doing all of that kind of stuff was just amazing."
