SAN FRANCISCO -- It's more than a mere gesture that Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti has given his beloved No. 19 jersey -- the number he proudly wore when he pitched a no-hitter for the Yankees -- to rookie second baseman Kevin Frandsen.
It was heartfelt, a genuine display of affection and remembrance, honoring the enduring memory of Kevin's late brother, D.J., who lost a lengthy fight with Wilms' tumor, a recurring cancer of the kidneys, before succumbing Sept. 16, 2004.
They are kindred spirits, these men, whose lives intersected in their native San Jose long ago when D.J. fought disease with determination and humor, buoyed by the baseball exploits of pinstriped Righetti -- the kid's favorite player -- and Kevin's athleticism.
Now the circle is complete.
"It's very special -- it was not something I asked for," said Frandsen. "It was offered. I'm excited about it. There's a lot of pride for [Righetti], too. He wore [No. 19] for 20, 30 years, and he was D.J.'s favorite player. He had posters of Rags all over his room.
"D.J. was born on May 19, his favorite number was 19 and he battled cancer for 19 years," said Frandsen, who admitted he didn't know how to react when Righetti told longtime equipment manager Mike Murphy about possibly giving up the jersey number.
But Frandsen smiled when asked what his big brother would have said about it.
"He'd tell me, 'Don't screw up that number.' That's how he was."
Righetti first knew the Frandsens' father, Dave, as a batboy for a youth baseball team, and the families grew close over the years, living only a few miles apart. Even as a Yankee, Righetti would often visit D.J. during his cancer treatments, and little brother Kevin would always be there.
Righetti would later see Kevin emerge as a baseball star at San Jose State, be drafted by San Francisco in the 12th round of the 2004 draft and -- wonder of wonders -- become a Giant.
"I'm real proud of him, and it's an easy thing to do," said Righetti of giving Frandsen No. 19 and taking the 46 jersey that belonged to former Giants left-handed pitcher Kirk Rueter.
Frandsen has always honored the memory of David Frandsen Jr. (D.J.) by wearing a "19" in his cap with his brother's initials superimposed over it.
Righetti laughed that he'll get grief over giving up that number from some Yankees teammates, but it's also a reminder of other moments in his life.
"I believe [Don] Larsen threw a no-hitter wearing that number, then I threw one next wearing 19," said Righetti. "My dad passed away on the 19th, my kids were born on the 19th, so the number means a lot to us."
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
Houston Astros
LA Angels
Oakland Athleticss
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Register To Reply
Originally Posted by Bear
