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Cute4: Young Astros fans get a foul ball from The Ryan Express

Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan spent nine years with the Houston Astros from 1980-1988, but on Tuesday, The Ryan Express gained two new Astros fans who weren't even alive back then.

In the eighth inning of the Nationals-Astros matchup, Washington shortstop Ian Desmond fouled one of Chad Qualls' offerings into the netting behind home plate -- directly in front of the Astros' executive advisor:

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Ryan has been in and around Major League parks since 1966, and therefore knew exactly who to give that ball to:

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The young fans were pretty psyched to get a souvenir (and hang out with MLB's all-time strikeout leader):

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Read More: Houston AstrosChad QuallsIan Desmond