Jason Samuel Christiansen (born September 21, 1969 in Omaha, Nebraska) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher. He is an alumnus of Cameron University.

Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent in 1991, Christiansen would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Pirates on April 26, 1995.

Christiansen gained national attention for his heated rivalry with fellow San Francisco Giants teammate Barry Bonds during the 2005 season. The rivalry began when Christiansen overheard Bonds' personal stretching trainer, Harvey Shields, giving faulty batting advice to another player. When Christiansen intervened and questioned Shields' motives, Shields ran out of the room. He returned moments later with Bonds and Greg Oliver (Bonds' personal weight trainer). Bonds then threw a cup of Coca-Cola on Christiansen, after which Christiansen and Bonds began to fight. Punches were thrown, and Christiansen had Bonds in a headlock before the two were separated.

The incident was documented in the 2006 book Game of Shadows. After the fight, Bonds threatened Giants management, which led to Christiansen being traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 30, 2005, for minor league pitchers Dusty Bergman and Ronnie Ray.

On December 13, 2007, he was named in the Mitchell Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation Into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball.^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ Mitchell Report on Steroid Use in Baseball

[edit] External links

• Jason Christiansen at Baseball Reference.com
• Christiansen won't be back with Angels

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