Kriston Palomo - Number 29

Number 29 (Kriston’s Song) is dedicated to the memory of Kriston Palomo, a 16 year old who was killed in a tragic accident during a high school baseball game on May 4, 1997. Kriston was a friend of my son Kurt, and they were teammates on an AAU baseball team that had qualified for the USA Junior Olympics which were to be held in July 1997.

Kriston, number 29 and known to his friends and teammates as "Rook," was a popular and gifted student at St. Bernard’s High School in Marina Del Rey, CA. Only a sophomore, he was nonetheless a highly touted college and professional baseball prospect after having earned Division 1 all-league honors as a freshman, and having been the first freshman to make the varsity team at his school in 14 years. Kriston, who was batting .475 and had already hit 9 home runs in the young season, was playing first base and looking up as he moved into position to catch a high pop fly. At the same time, the batter was sprinting head-down to first base. Neither player ever saw the other, and in the ensuing collision, Kriston’s larynx was crushed by the batter’s helmet.

I am absolutely certain that at this very moment Kriston is wearing number 29 and playing baseball in heaven for God’s eternal all-stars, the Saints, at beautiful Heaven Field.