Athletics Bench Coach Apologizes After `Unintentional' Nazi Salute
Oakland A’s bench coach Ryan Christenson, who spends all of his time in the background, found himself center stage Thursday night after a video of him celebrating the A’s 6-4 win over the Texas Rangers appeared to show him making a Nazi salute.
The video was captured from the NBC Sports-California telecast. In it, Christenson is seen standing in the typical handshake line near the dugout with his right arm extended, palm down as the players left the field.
Relief pitcher Liam Hendriks is seen to briefly stop to talk with Christenson, who lowers his arm, raises it momentarily, then lowers it again.
The video was something of a sensation on Twitter, some of the commenters calling for Christenson to be dismissed by the A’s.
As the video picked speed on Twitter, Christenson released a statement:
“I made a mistake and will not deny it. Today in the dugout I greeted players with a gesture that was offensive. In the world today of COVID, I adapted our elbow bump, which we do after wins, to create some distance with the players. My gesture unintentionally resulted in a racist and horrible salute that I do not believe in. What I did is unacceptable and I deeply apologize.”
Christenson, who received a call from A’s general manager David Forst when he got home, told the San Francisco Chronicle that “obviously I wasn’t doing it intentionally.”
“I just blacked out,” Christenson told the newspaper. “My mind wasn’t there and I spaced out. I’m sure it looks terrible. I did it, but it was not intentional. I don’t know what more to say…. I’m sorry for everything.”
The coach told the Chronicle that Hendriks told him, “No, no straight arm. You have to bend your arm,” and Hendriks confirmed that.
Christenson said the repeat gesture, which was made while not facing any other players, was a reaction to what Hendriks was telling him, saying “Oh, I see what you mean. Oh, no, it’s like `heil Hitler.’”
In a text to the Chronicle. Hendriks wrote: “I know Ryan (Christenson) and what happened today was in no way a reflection of who he is.”
The organization also issued a statement:
“A’s bench coach Ryan Christenson greeted players with a gesture that looked like a Nazi salute. We do not support or condone this gesture or the racist sentiment behind it. This is incredibly offensive, especially in these times when we as a Club and so many others are working to expose and address racial inequities in our country. We are deeply sorry that this happened on our playing field.”
Sources in the organization said the incident wasn’t a topic of conversation in the clubhouse after the game.
As a rule, with high-fives, hand slapping and handshakes off the table during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the A’s have adopted both a celebratory elbow chop and a gesture that is a cross between a karate chop and a forearm bash.
Christenson is in his 15 season with the Oakland organization, moving to the job of bench coach in 2018. He played parts of six seasons in the big leagues and was with the A’s as an outfielder from 1998-2001.
Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3
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