Chris Hartje | |
---|---|
Catcher | |
Born: March 25, 1915 San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
Died: June 26, 1946 Seattle, Washington, U.S. | (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 |
Runs batted in | 5 |
Teams | |
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.
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.