Rays/MLB

Gator gets in on the fun

Oakland calls up former Florida player Mark Kiger, a career minor-leaguer, as an injury replacement.

By MARC TOPKIN
Published October 11, 2006

OAKLAND, Calif. - The last time Mark Kiger was this nervous, he was stepping into the batter's box for the first time as a Florida Gator in a 2000 game against Hawaii.

Tuesday, he stepped onto a slightly bigger stage.

Kiger, 26, was added to Oakland's roster American League Championship Series roster as a replacement for injured second baseman Mark Ellis despite having spent his entire career in the minors.

"I'm just having fun," Kiger said. "It's a great experience. I'm trying to take it all in."

The A's, quite frankly, are hoping they don't have to use Kiger, who split the season between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Sacramento. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he would become the first player to make his major-league debut in a postseason game.

The A's called him Thursday after Ellis (who also played at Florida) became the latest infielder to be sidelined by injury, joining Bobby Crosby and ex-Ray Antonio Perez, and told him to leave the youth-league team he was coaching in Temecula, Calif., and report to their instructional league team in Arizona.

The A's trust his solid defense at second base and shortstop and five days later, he was on the field with a team four wins from the World Series and trying not to think about how crazy it all was. (He won't get salary or major-league service time, but could be voted a playoff share by his new teammates.)

"A lot of this game is mental and this is probably the biggest mental challenge you can have, especially at this time of year," Kiger said.

Florida coach Pat McMahon called Kiger early Tuesday to congratulate him.

"He just needed a break, and to be called up during the series, wow!" McMahon said. "He's one of the outstanding competitors I've been around. He has an outstanding work ethic in every way. He's one of the most outstanding competitors I've been around."

By the way, that first Gator at-bat against Hawaii?

"Base hit," Kiger said.

Times staff writer Antonya English contributed to this report.

[Last modified October 11, 2006, 01:38:19]