Young fan's 'Full Circle' meeting with Buster Posey

Young fan's 'Full Circle' meeting with Buster Posey

Dalton DeMicheli recently experienced what his family calls a "full circle" moment at the Giants Spring Training facility, a meeting with three-time World Series Champion and current President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey.

OAKLAND, Calif. - As the San Francisco Giants start their season, one young fan in Arizona will be watching the game with a special connection to the team's front office.

Dalton DeMicheli recently met with three-time World Series champion and Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey at the team's spring training facilities in Scottsdale. 

The encounter marked a full-circle moment for a boy who has spent much of his life fighting for his health.

A meeting of champions

Trip to Arizona:

The encounter took place in Scottsdale, where Dalton waited patiently outside the team offices with his family for about an hour. 

While passing the time, he managed to snag autographs from outfielders Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee. 

Ironically, Dalton was sporting a Randy Johnson Arizona Diamondbacks jersey at the time, but the Giants staff didn't care about the rival colors.

"I think that just says something about the team," said Krista DeMicheli, Dalton's mother. "It didn't matter to them that he wasn't decked out in all Giants gear. It was just his love for baseball."

Posey signed all three of Dalton's baseball cards and a baseball.

"He made me feel great, special," Dalton said.

A deeper connection

The backstory:

Dalton was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome or HLHS, a rare defect where the heart is missing its left ventricle. 

He has undergone six open-heart surgeries since birth, the first three of which took place at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco. 

The hospital is the same location where Posey and his wife, Kristen, focus their philanthropy efforts to raise funds for pediatric cancer research. 

Dalton's father, Bryan, is a San Francisco native and lifelong Giants fan. He taught his son about Posey's career achievements and the team's 2010 World Series title. 

For the family, the meeting was a significant milestone given Dalton's medical history at the hospital the Posey family supports. 

It's why the family describes meeting Posey as a "full circle" moment.

"I just want to say thank you to the Giants… and thank you Buster Posey for doing this," Dalton said.