Chris Kitsos

Christopher Anestos Kitsos

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 165 lb.
• High School James Madison High School (Brooklyn)
• Debut April 21, 1954
• Final Game April 21, 1954
• Born February 11, 1928 in New York, NY USA
• Died June 7, 2004 in Mobile, AL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Shortstop Chris Kitsos was a native of New York City who grew up in Brooklyn, NY and signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 as an amateur free agent shortly after graduating from high school. He spent five seasons in the Dodgers organization with average success and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs from the Dodgers in the 1951 minor league draft after hitting .334 and scoring a league-leading 134 runs for the Asheville Tourists of the Tri-State League. Chris also was chosen as the All-Star team shortstop.

Kitsos made his only major league appearance for the Cubs against the Milwaukee Braves in a 7-3 loss on April 24, 1954. Entering the game defensively in the bottom of the 8th inning, he handled two ground balls, throwing out Johnny Logan and Warren Spahn, but he never got a chance to come to the plate. He was sent to the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League soon thereafter, and later returned to the Dodgers organization where he spent three seasons (1955-1957) with the Mobile Bears of the Southern Association.

Kitsos still had two more seasons of baseball in him and his best year since leaving the majors came in 1958 with the Pueblo Dodgers of the Western League where he hit .283 while appearing in 100 contests. Chris spent his last year on the diamond with the New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association, hitting .236 with a career-high 9 home runs in 139 games. 1959 wound up his 13-year minor league career and the 5' 9" switch-hitter ended up with a .254 batting average with 56 homers and also showed a .962 fielding percentage.

Kitsos remained in Alabama and was in sales for the Mobile Gas Corporation for 20 years before becoming the superintendent of the parks and recreation department in Mobile, AL. He retired in 1993.

An excellent golfer, Chris participated in both the United States Senior Open and the United States Senior Amateur Open. Kitsos died June 7, 2004, at 76 years of age, in Mobile.

Source

• Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• BR Minors page