Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez hit for the cycle for the first time in his career during Sunday’s 6-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
However, he received a memento from his special day that other major leaguers who hit for the cycle may not have received.
Mariners fan Amy Franz ended up with Alvarez’s home run ball after the hard shot (interestingly measured by Statcast at 384 feet) struck the facade of T-Mobile Park’s upper deck and landed back on the lower deck where she was sitting.
Soon after, Franz posted a message to social media contacting the Astros and Mariners saying she had Alvarez’s home run ball and wanted to give it to him.
“It’s worth more to him than it is to me as he begins the cycle,” she wrote. “Please find a way for me to get this to him.”
Franz’s post made the rounds on social media and apparently reached people associated with the Mariners and Astros. After the game, she was introduced to Alvarez and gave him the ball, “his piece of history,” as she put it.
“I didn’t ask for anything in return,” she said in a follow-up post with a photo of her and Alvarez. “But he made sure I got a signed ball to show his appreciation.”
For those who are wondering, I was able to congratulate @astros Yordan and give him the piece of history he won. I didn’t ask for anything in return, but he made sure I received a signed ball to show his appreciation. Congratulations Yordan and thanks for the ball. pic.twitter.com/dwQVFEtYDY
-Amy Franz (@ichimeterlady) July 22, 2024
In addition to an autographed ball, Franz received a shirt from Alvarez, according to MLB.com.
Alvarez went 4-for-4 on Sunday, hitting his home run in the fourth inning and the hardest part of a cycle – a triple – in the sixth, on a deep drive to left center field, where Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez , unfortunately got injured while trying to chase. Rodriguez collided with the outfield wall and sprained his right ankle.
With a 4-for-4 day, Alvarez’s batting average improved to .301 with a .930 OPS, 20 home runs, 22 doubles, two triples and 54 RBI for the season.
The Astros’ designated hitter is the second player to hit in the cycle this season, joining the Texas Rangers’ Wyatt Langford. He also became the second player to do so in T-Mobile Park history, following Miguel Tejada performing the feat with the Oakland Athletics in 2001.
Alvarez is also the 10th Astros batter to hit in the cycle, after José Altuve did so last season against the Boston Red Sox. But did Altuve recover the home run ball from a gracious baseball fan like Alvarez?
