Loyd Christopher

Loyd Eugene Christopher

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 190 lb.
• High School Richmond (CA) High School
• Debut April 20, 1945
• Final Game May 13, 1947
• Born December 31, 1919 in Richmond, CA USA
• Died September 5, 1991 in Richmond, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Loyd Christopher played professional baseball for sixteen seasons from 1938 to 1955.

Loyd spent his first seven seasons in the minors. He hit .353 with 31 homers in 1939 for the Wenatchee Chiefs of the Class B Western International League, leading the circuit with 131 RBI. He batted .284 for the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League in 1944. On November 1, 1944, Loyd was drafted by the Boston Red Sox from Seattle in the 1944 Rule V Draft. Loyd got his first chance in the major leagues as part of a split-season affair with the Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. He played a total of 9 games and hit .286 (4-for-14) with 4 RBI. He received one more chance with the Chicago White Sox in 1947, appearing in seven games and hitting .217, his final big league time.

During and after his run at the big leagues, Christopher played nine straight seasons (1944-1952) in the PCL, with four seasons in which he hit .300 or better. He also had five seasons of double-digit home runs, with 26 being his best, leading the league in 1946. Loyd finished his career in 1955 with the Stockton Ports in a brief seven-game finale at age 35. This gave him minor league career numbers of 1,627 games, 5,164 at bats and an estimated 178 home runs and .281 batting average.

After his playing days, Christopher was a scout for the Cincinnati Reds (1956-1964), Milwaukee Braves/Atlanta Braves (1965-1966), Cleveland Indians (1967-1974), California Angels (1975-1984), and the Montreal Expos (1985-1990). He signed Gary Pettis and Mark Gardner among others. Christopher died at his home in Richmond, CA, of natural causes, on September 5, 1991. His brother, pitcher Russ Christopher, also played in the major leagues.

Related Sites

• Loyd Christopher at the SABR Bio Project