Bob Christian

Robert Charles Christian

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 180 lb.
• School Grossmont College
• High School El Cajon Valley High School
• Debut September 2, 1968
• Final Game May 24, 1970
• Born October 17, 1945 in Chicago, IL USA
• Died February 20, 1974 in San Diego, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Bob Christian packed a lot of baseball into a short life. He played parts of three years in the majors, several years in the minors and a couple of years in Japan.

Bob was signed in 1964 by the New York Yankees and spent one year in their minor league system, hitting .319. The Detroit Tigers liked what they saw, picking him after the season in the 1964 first-year player draft. Bob spent 1965 to 1968 in the Tigers' organization, moving up from A to AA to AAA ball, and playing, at various times, third base, second base and the outfield. He came to the majors in 1968 for the first time, hitting .333 (1-for-3). He played one game in right field and a game at first base, a position he had rarely played in the minors. The Tigers, of course, won the 1968 World Series so Christian had a share of their success.

The Chicago White Sox purchased Bob on September 30, 1968, before the World Series had started. He played for their Tucson team in both 1969 and 1970, and was in the majors both years, playing left field and one game in right. In 1969, getting 129 at-bats, he hit .217 on a team that hit .247. In 1970, he hit .267 in 15 at bats on a team that hit .253, slugging .467 (higher than all but Bill Melton, albeit in a minuscule sample size). Thereafter, he played two seasons for Toei in Japan.

Bob died of leukemia in 1974 at 28, leaving behind a wife and child.

Related Sites

• Bob Christian at the SABR Bio Project