Christian Henry Hartje (March 25, 1915 – June 26, 1946) was a 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 | |
Died: June 26, 1946 Seattle, Washington | (aged 31)|
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 |
RBI | 5 |
Teams | |
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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. At the time it was the worst accident in U.S. sports history, as nine team members were killed and six were injured.[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.