Angels Rookie Accepted An Unbelievable Offer From Fans Who Caught His First Home Run

Maren Angus-Coombs | Aug 29, 2024

Aug 22, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Niko Kavadas (28) hits a three run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

With two outs in the top of the ninth inning last Thursday, Los Angeles Angels No. 30 prospect Niko Kavadas got his first career big league hit. It also happened to be a home run.

By the time security in Toronto reached the seats where the ball landed, the fans who caught it were gone.

Kavadas had wanted to give the ball to his father, Jim, an avid memorabilia collector and one of Niko's biggest supporters. It was tough to text his dad and admit he didn't have the ball, Kavadas would tell reporters later, but the response he received was heartwarming.

“I thought he was going to be really disappointed,” said Kavadas. “And he said, ‘I couldn’t care less about the ball. It was an epic moment and I'm so happy for you.’ ”

First career hit ✅
First career home run ✅
First career RBI ✅

Congrats, Niko Kavadas! pic.twitter.com/BE5oKTAKX4

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 23, 2024

The events that transpired next were heartwarming.

On Friday morning, the Blue Jays' season ticket department contacted the Angels. The family who retrieved the ball wanted to reunite it with its rightful owner.

“It’s someone who kind of gets it, who understands what it takes to get there and what that ball means to me and my family,” said Kavadas. “It's awesome.”

Stories are often told about players who exchange something for a historic souvenir baseball. In this case, the fans who retrieved Kavadas' first home run ball didn't want anything in return. They offered to give him the ball for free.

“I signed a few balls for them, and I wish I could have done more — I didn't know what they wanted,” said Kavadas. “But yeah, they were so gracious in the fact that they weren't asking for anything in return, they just felt like it was the right thing to do.”

It was a combined effort. The family who caught the ball couldn't attend the game so they gave it to their friend, Jason Okamura, a Blue Jays season ticket holder who made sure Kavadas got the ball back. He watched batting practice on the field and told the Angels designated hitter about the entire endeavor.

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The entire story makes the ball a little more special.

“[My parents] sacrificed family vacations, summertime that we spent together, all of that stuff for my baseball career,” said Kavadas. “I have three siblings, and they all sacrificed summers, vacations, things like that because I was playing travel ball. … They’ve all pitched in, and this is possible because of all of that.”

While his parents would have been happy with the ball from home run No. 2, there is just something about the first.

“When I think of that ball, I think of when my little sister got old enough to where she didn't use her swing set anymore,” said Kavadas. “And I took the swings off, put a batting cage on there, and hit balls into a tee every single day as a 9- or 10-year-old.

“That's what that ball means to me.”