The Houston Astros and their fans enjoyed a special treat on Friday night as 11-time Olympic gymnast medalist Simone Biles threw out the first pitch during their home game against the Kansas City Royals. Another viral video caught a moment when Astros catcher Jon Singleton giving her the ball back for her to sign. You don't see that every day.
The GOAT has arrived 🐐🥇
Simone Biles throws out the first pitch at Minute Maid Park. pic.twitter.com/PvVFopJG6Z
— MLB (@MLB) August 31, 2024
Biles was born and raised in Spring, Texas, a modest suburb of Houston about 23 miles from the city center. She grew up a fan of the Astros and all Houston-area sports teams.
Simone Biles might be the first person to throw the ceremonial first pitch and then give HER autograph on a ball to a player…🤣 pic.twitter.com/Axy6e3IieE
— MVPnav🤘🏽 (@PNav57) August 30, 2024
In case you're wondering, a Simone Biles autograph averages anywhere from $250 to 400 on a sports trading card. A rare autographed card sold for nearly $5,000 earlier in August.
This isn't Biles' first rodeo or first first-pitch. She threw out the first pitch at Astros' games in 2016 and 2019. Houston holds a solid lead in the American League West over the Seattle Mariners. But it's a tight race, and it's unlikely anyone but the division winner will make the postseason.
Simone Biles' Olympic history as the all-time best gymnast, seven-time gold medalist

Biles made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. There, she won four golds and a bronze. Her golds came in the team event, all-around, vault and floor exercise, with the bronze on the balance beam.
In 2020, in Tokyo, she battled what is called in the sport “the twisties, ” a psychological phenomenon that causes gymnasts to lose awareness of themselves while in the air performing twists. During the Olympics, she withdrew from the individual event finals. Despite everything, she won a silver team and another bronze on the balance beam.
Most recently, during the 2024 Paris Olympics, Biles got back on track after overcoming the twisties. She finished the games with three golds (Team, all-around and vault) with a silver in the floor exercise.
Her 11 Olympic medals (seven gold, two silver and two bronze) and 30 World Championship medals make her the most decorated women's gymnast in history. Her seven gold medals give her the third-most among all women athletes.
Simone Biles just cemented herself as the GOAT.
The American gymnast collected her 5th Olympic gold Medal and 8th career Olympic medal overall.
In winning her 8th medal, Biles now becomes the United States' gymnastics all-time medal leader, surpassing Shannon Miller as the new… pic.twitter.com/HD1hGWzl8R
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 31, 2024
Spring, her hometown, has a few celebrities and notable people in its history. Former MLB pitcher Josh Beckett, musician Lyle Lovett, stand-up comedian Tig Notaro, actors Lee Pace and Jim Parsons, PGA golfer Patrick Reed and two more Olympic gold medalist, diver Laura Wilkinson and speedskater Chad Hedrick. And of course, Biles' husband Jonathan Owens, a safety on the Chicago Bears, now resides in Spring with his wife.