Baseball fan, 9, writes letter to team after losing memorabilia to wildfire

SANTA ROSA, CA (KGO/CNN) - A 9-year-old baseball fan wrote a heartbreaking letter to his favorite team after losing his collection of memorabilia when a California wildfire destroyed his home.

Loren Smith, 9, is one of the Oakland Athletics’ biggest fans and built quite the collection of Athletics’ memorabilia over the years.

But the wildfires in California destroyed Loren’s home and all of his collection, including a baseball signed by the team, a card collection, 17 jerseys and 10 hats.

The devastated 9-year-old, who wants to be an Athletics player and knows every announcers’ call, wrote a letter to his favorite team.

“I played baseball in my backyard all day loving the A's and making up my own game. In my backyard, they won six World Series in a row. But my house burned down in the Santa Rosa fire,” Loren wrote.

Before the fire, Loren and his dad, Tait Smith, would drink milkshakes and play catch.

"It breaks my heart just that he is not going to be back here, screaming and yelling home runs that he hit over the fence with the Wiffle ball to the neighbors,” Loren’s dad said.

But Loren’s letter caught the eye of Athletics team president Dave Kaval, who vowed to help.

A meeting has been set up between the team and family that should include a few surprises for the Athletics’ biggest fan.

The letter also caught the eyes of other Athletics’ fans and major league baseball teams like the Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, who all offered to send Loren memorabilia.

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