Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis, who was selected number one overall in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pirates prospect trolls autograph hound for using kid to get signature

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 10/8/22

Henry Davis was the No. 1 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates two years ago, and he already knows how to sniff out autograph hounds looking to cash in on his signature.

A fan posted to Twitter on Friday how Davis had signed a ball for a six-year-old at the Arizona Fall League with the message, "stop using your kid to get autographs."

Henry Davis wrote this on a 6-year-olds baseball today at Peoria Sports Complex. Arizona Fall League Game Peoria Javelinas vs Surprise Saguaros pic.twitter.com/KpsO2sC6fz
— Patrick Sandoval Truther (@Halofan245) October 8, 2022

Davis responded on Twitter by saying that he was happy to sign the kids A's hat and talk to him, but that the kid did not know his name and was told by his dad to rush across the field to get an autograph.

Great talking with Cash (6yo) and signing his A’s hat. Said he didn’t know my name but his dad said he had to run across the field to get my auto. Hard to connect w fans when some make a barrier between us. I will be catching in the pen today if any kids want to come talk ball https://t.co/NrTdF5pMpb
— Henry Davis (@henrydavis32) October 8, 2022

While the dad telling the kid to rush across the field to get an autograph of a player the kid does not even know is a big red flag for the motives, the "sweet spot" protector that forces players to sign the ball in an optimum viewing position might be the most obvious sign of what the motives here were. Davis was not having it and sent his own message.

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