Christiansen warned about Kile tributes

By Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated

SAN FRANCISCO -- Major League Baseball officials threatened to ban San Francisco pitcher Jason Christiansen from the Giants dugout during World Series games unless he stopped wearing handwritten tributes on his cap to deceased Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile.

Christiansen, who is not on the active roster after undergoing elbow surgery, and Kile were teammates and close friends in St. Louis. The Giants left-hander has honored Kile by writing Kile's initials and uniform number, 57, in white ink on the back of his cap, which he wore during Game 1 on Saturday.

Sandy Alderson, Major League Baseball's executive vice president, and Bob Watson, who oversees disciplinary matters, confronted Christiansen in the Giants' dugout prior to Game 2 of the World Series in Anaheim on Sunday. They told him he was in violation of baseball's standard uniform code and could not watch the game from the San Francisco dugout unless he wore another cap without the adornments.

A shaken Christiansen, after briefly considering watching the game from the clubhouse, instead put Kile's initials and number in black ink on another cap so that they were not easily visible.

Christiansen made a habit of touching the markings on the cap following the singing of the national anthem before each game. He also wears a bracelet with Kile's initials in silver letters.

"It's all so petty," Christiansen said. "It's not like anybody even sees me. I can't go on the field, so what is the problem? They told me they're afraid it might get out of hand and that it will be part of the new [basic] agreement. I'm just one guy honoring a friend and I'm not even on the field.''

Christiansen, who normally wears No. 40, said he is considering wearing No. 57 for Game 3 at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco on Tuesday. The Giants do not wear names on the back of their home jerseys.

One Giant said several players on the active roster briefly discussed wearing Kile's initials on their caps for Game 2. "What are they going to do, make us forfeit?'' the player said. Another player said members of the team talked about Barry Bonds possibly wearing Kile's initials on his cap for Game 3.

"Barry's already mad at Watson because he won't be able to wear his pants long next year,'' the player said. "Will they tell Barry he can't play?''

Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers baseball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.

 

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