With everything going on in the world today, one small gesture on the part of San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey was able to lift the spirits of a young baseball fan.
We have the COVID pandemic to contend with. Politicians everywhere bad mouthing one another, led by the leader of the country and his counterpart. Hurricanes seem to have honed in on Louisiana and wild fires are burning through California like never before. And there sits San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, in front of his computer, on a Zoom call, to cheer up a 9-year-old baseball fan.
Enough said.
We’ll give Posey extra pats on the back though, because his efforts are very newsworthy at a time like this.
Reese Osterberg, a sweet little girl who loves Buster Posey, lost her home and her baseball card collection when the Creek Fire burned out of control in Fresno County, California.
Her community rallied around her and donations poured in of baseball cards, with one person sending her over 25,000.
This 9-year-old girl has had her life turned upside down in a matter of days, and then had her love of baseball reaffirmed with the show of support from complete strangers. One of them, a person she only knows by name, and the statistics on the back of his baseball cards.
Posey took time to have a video call with one of his biggest fans, and brought her to tears with a meaningful interaction. The Giants gathered together some mementos to send to Osterberg, including an autographed Posey baseball.
Oserberg has already paid this gesture forward by providing some of the donated cards to kids at the Children’s Hospital of Central California.
As much as we complain about cheating scandals, seven-inning doubleheaders, and men on second base to start extra innings, this remains a kids game. When faith in the game can be restored by kind gestures by professional athletes, bonds are formed which will endure the test of time.
Classy move on the part of the San Francisco Giants and kudos to Buster Posey for everything he did to bring a smile to this little girl’s face.