Russ Christopher
Born: 9/12/1917 in Richmond, CA, USA
Died: 12/5/1954 in Richmond, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1942-04-14 | Final Game: 1948-10-01
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 170 lbs
Full name: Russell Ormand Christopher
Biography
Russ Christopher was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1942 to 1948. Born in 1917, Christopher made a name for himself during an era marked by the challenges of World War II, which affected player availability and competition levels across the league. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 54 wins and 64 losses, with a respectable earned run average (ERA) of 3.37. He struck out a total of 424 batters and recorded 35 saves, showcasing his capability as both a starting and relief pitcher.
Christopher's skills on the mound earned him an All-Star selection, highlighting his impact during his playing years. Known for his competitive spirit and consistency, he contributed significantly to his teams, navigating through a time when pitching depth was crucial. His contributions to baseball during this transitional period left a lasting mark, as he was part of a generation of players who helped shape the game in the post-war era.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 64 | 241 | 97 | 46 | 3 | 35 | 999.7 | 931 | 374 | 38 | 399 | 424 | 3.37 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | PHA | AL | 4 | 13 | 30 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 165.0 | 154 | 70 | 99 | 58 | 3.82 | -3054.3 |
| 1943 | PHA | AL | 5 | 8 | 24 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 133.0 | 120 | 51 | 58 | 56 | 3.45 | 328.2 |
| 1944 | PHA | AL | 14 | 14 | 35 | 24 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 215.3 | 200 | 71 | 63 | 84 | 2.97 | 2231.3 |
| 1945 | PHA | AL | 13 | 13 | 33 | 27 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 227.3 | 213 | 80 | 75 | 100 | 3.17 | 1789.6 |
| 1946 | PHA | AL | 5 | 7 | 30 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 119.3 | 119 | 57 | 44 | 79 | 4.30 | 2052.3 |
| 1947 | PHA | AL | 10 | 7 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 80.7 | 70 | 26 | 33 | 33 | 2.90 | 688.5 |
| 1948 | CLE | AL | 3 | 2 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 59.0 | 55 | 19 | 27 | 14 | 2.90 | -145.8 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 242 | 316 | 17 | 50 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 17 | 95 | 0.158 | 0.201 | 0.222 | 0.423 | -1239.4 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | PHA | AL | 30 | 56 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0.089 | -598.3 |
| 1943 | PHA | AL | 24 | 45 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0.156 | 0.0 |
| 1944 | PHA | AL | 35 | 81 | 4 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 0.222 | -226.6 |
| 1945 | PHA | AL | 34 | 76 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 28 | 0.171 | -414.4 |
| 1946 | PHA | AL | 30 | 36 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0.139 | 0.0 |
| 1947 | PHA | AL | 44 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0.125 | 0.0 |
| 1948 | CLE | AL | 45 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | WS | CLE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | WS | CLE | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 241 | 0 | 93 | 314 | 9 | 20 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | PHA | P | 30 | 0 | 10 | 60 | 2 | 5 |
| 1943 | PHA | P | 24 | 0 | 11 | 61 | 1 | 5 |
| 1944 | PHA | P | 35 | 0 | 27 | 58 | 3 | 5 |
| 1945 | PHA | P | 33 | 0 | 26 | 71 | 1 | 4 |
| 1946 | PHA | P | 30 | 0 | 7 | 38 | 1 | 1 |
| 1947 | PHA | P | 44 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948 | CLE | P | 45 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 241 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 32th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |