Christian Henry Hartje (March 25, 1915 – June 26, 1946) was an American professional baseball player, primarily in the minor leagues. Born in San Francisco, he was a catcher and played in nine games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the major leagues in September during the 1939 baseball season.
| Chris Hartje | |
|---|---|
| Catcher | |
| Born: March 25, 1915 San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| Died: June 26, 1946 (aged 31) Seattle, Washington, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 9, 1939, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 23, 1939, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .313 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 5 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
After signing with the Spokane Indians of the Western International League in June 1946,[1] Hartje died less than a week later when the team's bus crashed en route to a game. With nine team members killed and six injured, it was the worst accident in U.S. sports history at the time.[2] Seriously injured and badly burned,[3] Hartje was taken to Harborview Hospital in Seattle and died the following day, the ninth fatality.[4][5]
Hartje served with the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, and was buried in the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California.
References
edit- ^ "Former big leaguer signed to catch for Spokane club". Spokane Daily Chronicle. June 19, 1946. p. 13.
- ^ Colford, Ann M. (September 23, 2006). "Spokane Indians baseball team bus crash kills nine on Snoqualmie Pass on June 24, 1946". HistoryLink.org. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
- ^ "Seriously injured". Seattle Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. June 26, 1946. p. 2.
- ^ "Hartje, driver still in danger". Spokane Daily Chronicle. June 26, 1946. p. 1.
- ^ "WIL resumes play, Tigers move up". Eugene Register-Guard. June 27, 1946. p. 12.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors) or Baseball Almanac
- Excerpt from book featuring stories of Hartje
- Article about bus crash
- Chris Hartje at Find a Grave
- Chris Hartje at SABR Bio Project
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