For the first time in his six-year MLB career, Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez hit for the cycle.
And the accomplishment was made even more special by a Seattle Mariners fan who, for a moment, put her rooting interests aside following Seattle's 6-4 victory. Mariners fan Amy Franz caught Alvarez's fourth-inning home run ball, which became considerably more valuable to the Astros slugger once he doubled to finish off the cycle later in the eighth inning.
Realizing the significance of the baseball she had, Franz reached out to both the Mariners and the Astros on X, formerly Twitter, asking the clubs for help returning the ball to Alvarez.
"Dear @astros @Mariners I have Yordan Alvarez Home Run Ball," Franz wrote. "It’s worth more to him than me being as he hit for the cycle. Please find a way for me to get it to him."
The story had a good ending, as Franz met up with Alvarez after the game and gave him his home run ball, posing for a photo with the Astros star—and even receiving an autographed ball.
For those wondering, I was able to congratulate @astros Yordan and give him the piece of history that he earned. I did not ask for anything in return, but he made sure that I received an autographed ball to show his appreciation. Congrats Yordan, and thanks for the ball. pic.twitter.com/dwQVFEtYDY
— Amy Franz (@ichimeterlady) July 22, 2024
What a classy gesture from Franz, and what a great moment for Alvarez. Alvarez went 4-for-4 with a first-inning single, the round-tripper in the fourth, an RBI triple in the sixth and the double in the eighth.
The Astros slugger has posted a .301/.385/.545 slash line with 20 home runs, 54 RBI and 58 runs scored in 94 games played.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mariners Fan Graciously Gives Yordan Alvarez the Home Run Ball From His Cycle Game.
