Team security workers led the child and his father away to have the ball authenticated. The Mariners said the boy traded the ball for a bat signed by Raleigh and an invitation to watch batting practice on the field.
The Mariners now are looking to connect with the man, with senior manager of communications Adam Gresch making a plea on social media for anyone who knows “this incredible fan” to send him a direct message.
The father of the boy, meanwhile, called it a “complete, gracious, sincere, random act of kindness.”
“I told him the lesson: ‘No matter what happens, this is the kind of moment that you should pay forward later in life,'” Galan Ruelos said on “The Gee and Ursula Show.” “It was beautiful, and so heartwarming.”
“My son whispered to me and said, ‘Dad, because it’s Cal, I want him to have [the ball],'” Galan Ruelos said. “He was never thinking, are we going to keep it for money? That wasn’t even a thought.
“We have the future MVP, hopefully, and [Marcus] touched history. That’s kind of more precious. He’ll live with that forever.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Cal Raleigh’s two home runs put him in exclusive 60-homer club (0:36)Cal Raleigh hits two home runs to join Babe Ruth, Roger Maris and Aaron Judge as the only American Leaguers to hit 60 in a season. (0:36)