8-year-old boy finds lost World Series ring, returns it to ballpark worker

HOUSTON -- If you lost a cherished item like a custom World Series ring in a ballpark crowded with 40,573 people, you'd probably think it was gone forever, right? Well, not if the right person is around.

When the Astros won the World Series in 2022, they gave Minute Maid Park employees a custom-made championship ring. On Father's Day, a man who has worked at the ballpark for 23 years lost his ring and feared it might be gone forever.

But, thanks to an 8-year-old boy who was attending his first-ever Astros game, Reynaldo Muñoz has been reunited with his prized possession.

Muñoz said he took off the custom ring while washing his hands in a restroom, and that's when he got a call for assistance. It wasn't until about 20 minutes later that he realized he left the ring behind. When he went back to look for the ring, it was gone.

However, not all hope was lost. The ring was found by 8-year-old Neymar Davalos, who gave it to his dad.

"I really didn't think I was going to see it ever again, but I'm so glad they did the right thing," Muñoz said. "At the end of the day, it's the best thing you can ask for."

While a lot of fans coming across the ring might be tempted to keep it for themselves, the Davalos Family is not like other fans.

Once Neymar and his dad saw a now-viral social media post about the lost ring, they contacted Muñoz and agreed to meet.

"He has worked for 23 years at MMP and this ring meant so much to him. The ring is very unique as it is personalized to every employee. His last name, 'Muñoz,' is engraved on the side," Janie Arredondo, a friend of Muñoz's daughter, wrote in the post.

Our sister station, ABC13, was there when Muñoz met up with the boy:

"He comes back from the restroom and he's like, 'Dad, here's your Father's Day gift.' And I don't think nothing of it. There's a lot of replicas. We were leaving and there's a lot of people walking out of the stadium and he's like, 'Dad, here.' So, I don't think nothing of it," Neymar's dad, Ray Davalos said. "Then, the next morning I woke up and I seen it all over social media and I'm like, 'Oh, my God.' And I'm like, 'Son, we have to give this back.' And he's like, 'Dad, but that was your Father's Day gift.' And I say 'Yeah, but what would Jesus do?'"

As a way of saying thanks, Muñoz gave Neymar a bag with T-shirts, bobbleheads, a voucher for game tickets, and even some replica rings the 8-year-old Astros fan can keep for himself.

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