OAKLAND -- Baseball is just a game. It's easy to lose sight of that when you are battling for playoff position and every game matters.
For Oakland A's slugger Khris Davis, he was reminded of this fact during pregame on Monday evening when a special guest dropped by the dugout to meet him.
Anthony Slocumb, a sixth grader from Claremont Middle School in Oakland, is a big-time fan of Davis. He's also in remission after battling a rare cancer called Langerhans cell histiocytosis.
Before the game, Slocumb met Davis as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and asked for an autograph. Davis returned the favor, having the 10-year-old sign the back of his jersey before the A's took on the Texas Rangers.
10-year-old Anthony Slocumb asked Khris Davis for an autograph.
The A's slugger asked for one back, then hit a mighty home run.
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With blue ink sprawled across the back of his uniform, Davis stepped to the plate and gave Slocumb an incredible memory to hold onto, blasting a towering shot into the left field bleachers.
"There was a lot of emotion with those kids' situation," Davis said following the game. "It's the worst situation you can be in, probably. I just wanted to put a smile on his face and thought maybe it would mean something if I had him my jersey signed by him."
These events play out often in professional sports, but Davis was moved by his experience Monday. The A's leader in home runs crushed a ball that careened off a luxury box window an estimated 438 feet from home plate.
As he rounded the bases, he did so with his newly found friend in mind.
"I thought about him around the bases," Davis said. "There's not a better feeling than hitting a home run. And if he got some excitement and joy from watching that ... I hope he saw it."
Davis only had a few minutes to spend with Slocumb before the game, but it left him energized. The home run was Davis' 37th of the season, tying for second place in the majors, one behind the Red Sox' J.D. Martinez.
When asked whether he considered swapping out for a new jersey before the game, Davis gave a definitive - "no."
"I wanted to rock that. I wanted him to know I was thinking about him," Davis said.
The A's are having a season of big moments. Coming away with a 9-0 win over the Rangers is great for the win/loss record, but for one fan, this was a game he'll never forget.
