Earlier this season, Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis was mired in Major League Baseball’s longest hitting slump.
It wasn’t until April 13 when Davis snapped a historic 0-for-54 skid that dated back to the 2018 season. But earlier that day, a 9-year-old Red Sox fan named Henry Frasca penned a letter of encouragement to Davis.
The letter made its way from an Orioles coach to Davis, who read it and stuck it in his pocket prior to the game. In the first inning, he lined a two-run single and finished 3-for-5 with four RBI.
Frasca re-read the letter in the visitor’s dugout at Fenway on Saturday.
“Dear Mr. Davis, from Henry Frasca, a 9-year-old kid and diehard Red Sox fan,” it begins. “There are two things I want you to know. First, the way you play baseball has nothing to do with how good a person you are. Also, you are incredible. You’ve played in the MLB. You’ve done it for a long time and everyone goes through a slump. Don’t give up. We’re rooting for you.”
“Thank you for the best day of my life.”
Red Sox fan Henry Frasca wrote a heart warming letter to Chris Davis, one that he’ll never forget! 🧡
🎥: @masnOrioles
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 18, 2019
Davis has held onto the letter, and this weekend, Davis repaid Frasca’s kind words by inviting him for a fun-filled day at Fenway Park prior to the Red Sox-Orioles contest. Frasca went into the visiting clubhouse, shagged fly balls in the outfield, had a catch with Davis and even went on the Orioles’ pre-game show.
For Frasca, it was a day he will never forget. For Davis, who is batting .176 with nine homers and 32 RBI in 2019, it was a demonstration of gratitude for a kid who knew exactly what to say at exactly the right time.
