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San Diego Padres, MLB teams replace baseball gear burned in California fires

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In Santa Rosa, where thousands of buildings and homes have burned in California’s devastating wildfires, at least one young resident (and baseball fan) is counting his blessings after at least 16 Major League Baseball teams rallied on Monday to replace his most prized possessions.

The teams, including the San Diego Padres, jumped on Twitter to respond to 9-year-old Loren Smith who, in a handwritten letter to the Oakland Athletics, said he had lost to the fire his baseball card collection, his 17 jerseys, 10 hats and a ball signed by Rickey Henderson, Bob Melvin and “the whole team.”

“It all burned up,” he wrote.

“I had every single A’s card from 2000 to now but I am 9 years old. I had a major league baseball and it all burned up. So sad. I know [you’re] not [all together] but hope they get this,” Smith wrote in the letter that’s now gone viral.

Smith’s letter and the reaction that followed have emerged as a light moment in a dark period in California where at least 12 wildfires have burned more than 220,000 acres across the state. At least 41 people have died and some 5,500 homes have been destroyed, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Along with the tragic news, countless uplifting stories have also emerged in recent days. Crowdfunding campaigns have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for victims. Volunteers have rescued scores of animals. Even one celebrity chef, Guy Fieri, cooked up a warm meal for evacuees and firefighters.

Related: How to help victims of the wildfires in Northern California

Dave Kaval, the A’s team president, on Monday personally pledged to help Smith replace his gear. “This is so touching,” Kaval said on Twitter.

But the kind gestures didn’t stop with the A’s. One by one, other MLB teams also responded on Twitter with pledges to restore his gear. Responses came from all over, from the Colorado Rockies to the New York Mets to the Houston Astros to the Kansas City Royals to the Cincinnati Reds to the Detroit Tigers.

Here’s what other teams, including the Padres, are sending

The Tampa Bay Rays

The Boston Red Sox

The Arizona Diamondbacks

The San Francisco Giants

Even some fans jumped in to offer their own personal memorabilia items. One A’s fan under the Twitter handle of @GridironDragon posted a photo of a box of 1987 Topps baseball cards to give to Smith. Another named Mike Crerar is sending his own personal collection.


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Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

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