Make-A-Wish child unable to meet Chris Davis due to suspension
The 25-game suspension handed to Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis for testing positive for Adderall on Friday cost one boy from Chesapeake, Virginia, the chance to meet his favorite player.
According to the Virginian-Pilot, the Make-A-Wish foundation gave five-year-old Kaden Abshire and his family six tickets to Friday's Orioles-Yankees game in Baltimore and arranged for Kaden to meet Davis, per Kaden's wishes.
But Davis's suspension meant he wasn't at the ballpark Friday morning, and thus unable to meet with Kaden.
More on Kaden, from the Virginian-Pilot:
Kaden was born with Holt-Oram syndrome, a little-known disorder characterized by skeletal abnormalities of the hands and arms and sometimes heart problems. [His grandmother Princess] Hepner said he may need a heart-and-lung transplant in the future.
Kaden's mother, Rachel Abshire, was killed last year by a friend of his father in a murder-for-hire. It was one of her last wishes for her oldest son to see a professional baseball game. She contacted the Make-A-Wish Foundation before she was murdered.
According to an earlier report from the Virginian-Pilot, the original Make-A-Wish plan was for Kaden and his family to see a game between the Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies, Rachel Abshire's two favorite teams.
Two days before his scheduled trip to Baltimore, Kaden said at party with friends and family, "I just want to meet Crush Davis, and that's it."
With Davis not there, Kaden met outfielder Nelson Cruz instead.
"Kaden knew who Nelson Cruz was before we did," Hepner said with a laugh. "He's happy."
Kaden was told that Davis couldn't come because he was at the doctor. Hepner said he took it fine.
- Ben Estes