Prior to Monday's game between the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers, A's left fielder Khris Davis met with some children attending the game as part of the Make-A-Wish program.
One of those children, Anthony Slocumb, told Davis that he was his favorite player and asked him for an autograph. Davis responded with an autograph request of his own: "Sure, do you want to sign my jersey?"
Davis proudly wore the jersey during the game.
He proceeded to smash a baseball an estimated 438 feet over the left-center-field wall for his 37th home run of the season. After the game, he told MLB.com's Jane Lee that he was thinking of Anthony while rounding the bases.
"There was a lot of emotion," Davis said. "I just wanted to put a smile on his face and thought maybe it would mean something if I had my jersey signed by him, just to know what that feels like to be in my shoes for a split second.
"I thought about him around the bases. There's not a better feeling than hitting a home run, so hopefully he got some excitement and joy from watching that."
Class AAA first
Jose Altuve has accomplished a great deal as a baseball player. He's won a Gold Glove and multiple Silver Slugger awards. He's won three American League batting titles and a World Series. His trophy case also features a 2017 AL MVP award.
Despite leading the American League in hits four times, Altuve had never recorded a single hit at Class AAA. He was at Class AA Corpus Christi in 2011 when he got called up to the Astros and he's never looked back.
On Sunday, in preparation for his return to the Astros on Tuesday, Altuve played in his first career game at Class AAA in a rehab appearance with the Fresno Grizzlies. In the sixth inning, he hit a single to right field for his first hit at that level.
Like anyone else, he kept the ball to add to his trophy case.
This milestone came less than a month after Altuve recorded his first All-Star Game hit and made sure the ball was set aside for posterity.
"I got two first hits this year -- All-Star and Triple-A," Altuve told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. "I'm really proud."
Astros Manager AJ Hinch confirmed the second baseman's excitement.
"He was so proud of it," Hinch said. "He was giddy."
Sister act
Sister Jean is celebrating her 99th birthday months after gaining national attention as chaplain of the Loyola-Chicago basketball team that reached the NCAA Final Four.
The university held a campus party with students and school staff members Tuesday for Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt. The Catholic nun became a celebrity in March for her fandom and for praying before each game for her Ramblers -- and for their opponents.
Schmidt said her health is better some days than others as she's been recovering since last year from a broken hip. She received a No. 99 basketball jersey and a birthday cake frosted in the team's maroon and gold colors.
Players say they're still inspired by her example.
Ramblers guard Marques Townes describes her simply as "genuine, sincere, passionate, loving, caring, sweetheart."
Sports on 08/22/2018