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The Oakland A’s signed 8-year-old August Wold to a player contract ahead of Saturday’s game, the team announced. Wold is a shortstop/catcher from Redding, California.
The player and team were brought together by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Wold’s wish was to become an A’s player, and now that’s a reality. Even the MLBRosterMoves Twitter account confirmed the news.
Here’s a brief scouting report from Wold’s father, George, via Susan Slusser of the S.F. Chronicle:
“He loves baseball, and he’s a good player. We were undefeated and he was one of the best players on the team. He hits well, fields well and throws well.”
The A’s held a press conference to announce the signing:
August officially signs with GM David Forst and the A’s, surrounded by his teammates. pic.twitter.com/pC0Riyb3gX
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 28, 2019
On the field, Wold picked up the pregame “first hit” off of second baseman Jurickson Profar.
August singles for the game’s “first hit.” Way to go August! pic.twitter.com/GsoBnrpEo1
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 28, 2019
He also spent some time getting his bat ready with closer Liam Hendriks, and getting a gift from center fielder Ramon Laureano (and playing catch with him!), as well as meeting some more of his teammates (and even more of them!).
Wold further endeared himself to his teammates by nailing a pregame prediction. He said that Matt Chapman would hit a homer during Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers, and Chapman did indeed do so. It was his first dinger in 10 games, and his first hit of any kind in four games, notes Ben Ross of NBCS. Afterward, Chapman called Wold a good luck charm and suggested that “we need to take him on the road with us,” reports Susan Slusser of the S.F. Chronicle.
Welcome to the A’s, August!
New acquisition to the roster, 8-year-old Wish Kid August Wold, has taken the field with his favorite team. Joining us from Redding, August’s Make-A-Wish dream of becoming an A’s player has come true and we’re delighted! pic.twitter.com/H1VpR5IvRS
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 27, 2019
More info on Wold, via Slusser:
Wold has a birth defect called Hirschsprung’s Disease, which affects the development of the colon, and until June surgery at UC Davis, Wold has at times had to use a colostomy bag, but his dad, George, said that never prevented his son from playing Little League.
“They made wraps for him and you’d never know,” George Wold said. “He did everything they told him not to do, they told him no head-first slides, but otherwise it was pretty wide open.”
Click here to learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and to make a donation.
