The Oakland Athletics will have Brent Rooker representing the team in the upcoming 2023 MLB All-Star Game. It's a big honor for Rooker, who is among the few bright spots on the A's in the 2023 MLB regular season, thus far. Rooker also knows that the exhibition game will be a golden opportunity for him to fulfill a personal mission to have a home run ball he hit off of Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani get signed by, well, Ohtani.

“So there's a really cool picture of me hitting a homer off Shohei in Anaheim, and I'm going to approach him very humbly and try to get him to sign it because I think that is something I would love to have forever,” Brent Rooker told reporters following the Athletics' 8-7 loss at home on Sunday at the hands of the Chicago White Sox.

That particular home run was hit by Rooker during a game in Anaheim way back in April. The Athletics lost that game, 8-7, but Rooker at least got a cool memorabilia, whose value is about to significantly increase once Ohtani gets ink on it.

So far this year, Brent Rooker is batting .243/.339/.477 with 14 home runs and 41 RBI.

Rooker's selection to the All-Star Game is truly a big deal for the 28-year-old outfielder. It must feel good for him, especially amid a tough season for the Athletics.

“To be completely transparent, I never allowed myself to think I can make an All-Star team, so this is even shocking for me,” Rooker said (via Martín Gallegos of MLB.com). “It’s overwhelming. To go out and achieve something I never really considered to be possible until right now, it’s a cool feeling, for sure.”