Gary Christenson
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1979-1980)
Gary Christenson was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1979 to 1980 for the Kansas City Royals, a span of 2 seasons. Across 30 career appearances, he went 3-0 with a 4.71 ERA and 20 strikeouts.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'5" / 200 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1979-09-01
- Last Game
- 1980-07-03
Full name: Gary Richard Christenson
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | KCA | AL | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.2 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3.38 | 4.00 (+16%) | 63.8 |
| 1980 | KCA | AL | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 31.1 | 35 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 5.17 | 3.84 (-35%) | -1146.6 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 3 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 42.0 | 45 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 4.71 | — | -1,083 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | KCA | AL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1980 | KCA | AL | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (60 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 16 | 22.2 | 23 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 3.97 |
| Away | 14 | 19.1 | 22 | 12 | 15 | 8 | 5.59 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-07-03 | KCR | SEA | — | 1.1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-06-30 | KCR | MIN | — | 3.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1980-06-19 | KCR | CLE | — | 3.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1980-06-16 | KCR | TEX | — | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-06-14 | KCR | MIL | — | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1980-06-10 | KCR | CLE | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-06-08 | KCR | TEX | W | 0.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1980-06-06 | KCR | TEX | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-06-01 | KCR | CHW | — | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-05-26 | KCR | OAK | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 30 |
Gary Christenson: the record in brief
Gary Christenson played a first major league game on September 1, 1979 and a last one on July 3, 1980. Christenson's only club in the season tables is the Kansas City Royals. Christenson, born on May 5, 1953, in Mineola, NY, USA, is listed as a pitcher and both batted and threw left-handed. Size on record: 6 feet, 5 inches and 200 pounds. The given name on file is Gary Richard Christenson.
Christenson pitched in 30 games, starting 0, and finished with a 3-0 record and 4.71 ERA. The totals include 20 strikeouts. The league ERA over Christenson's seasons was 3.92, so the 4.71 figure ran 20.2% worse than average. 1980 was Christenson's sharpest full season, a 5.17 ERA against the league's 3.84.
Every defensive appearance on record for Christenson, 30 games, came at pitcher. Fielding on the mound produced 2 putouts and 9 assists against 0 errors.
Retrosheet box scores cover 60 of Christenson's games, and the full game log is linked from the splits section.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gary Christenson
- What years did Gary Christenson play?
- Gary Christenson played in Major League Baseball from 1979 to 1980.
- Was Gary Christenson a pitcher?
- Yes. Gary Christenson pitched in the major leagues, recording 3 wins and 20 strikeouts.
- What teams did Gary Christenson play for?
- Gary Christenson played for one team, the Kansas City Royals (1979–1980).
- What were Gary Christenson's career stats?
- In 30 games, Gary Christenson went 3-0 with a 4.71 ERA, 20 strikeouts, 42.0 innings pitched, and 1 saves.
- What position did Gary Christenson play?
- Gary Christenson played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Gary Christenson and how much did he weigh?
- Gary Christenson was listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 200 pounds.
- What was Gary Christenson's career ERA?
- Gary Christenson finished with a 4.71 career ERA, going 3-0 with 20 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Gary Christenson have?
- Gary Christenson recorded 20 career strikeouts.
- Is Gary Christenson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Gary Christenson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.