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Russell Ormand Christopher (September 12, 1917 – December 5, 1954) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for seven seasons in the American League with the Philadelphia Athletics and Cleveland Indians. In 241 career games, Christopher pitched 999⅔ innings and posted a win-loss record of 54–64, with 46 complete games, three shutouts, and a 3.37 earned run average (ERA). A 6'3, 180 lb. player from Richmond, California, he played minor league baseball in the New York Yankees organization before being acquired by the Athletics in the rule 5 draft. Christopher joined the Athletics' major league roster in 1942 and played six seasons for them, and made his only All-Star appearance in 1945. He was traded to the Indians before the 1948 season, and played one year of baseball with them. After the season ended, he retired due to health concerns and worked at an aircraft plant until his death in 1954. ==Early life and minor leagues== Christopher was born in Richmond, California. His brother, Loyd Christopher, went on to become a major league outfielder. Loyd was the one first interested in becoming a professional baseball player, but would not sign a contract unless Russ signed one as well. As a child, Christopher had a case of rheumatic fever, which damaged his heart. He had his first taste of professional baseball in 1938, when he signed with the Clovis Pioneers of the West Texas–New Mexico League. He pitched in 13 games for the pioneers, posting a 7–5 record, 106 innings pitched and a 4.50 ERA.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Russ Christopher Minor League Statistics & History )〕 The following year, Christopher joined the El Paso Texans, the rookie-level minor league team of the New York Yankees farm system. In 32 games with the Texans, he posted an 18–7 record, pitched 225 innings and had an ERA of 3.68.〔 He was promoted in 1940 to the Wenatchee Chiefs of the Western International League, where he finished the year with an 8–8 record and a 4.72 ERA in 20 games.〔 At the end of the season, he was promoted to the Newark Bears of the International League along with seven other minor league players. In his lone season with the Bears, Christopher pitched in 31 games. Among those games was a four-hit shutout against the Rochester Red Wings in the International League playoffs to put the Bears up two games to none. In the championship series against the Montreal Royals, Christopher pitched seven solid innings in a victory for the Bears, but injured his back and did not play another game that season. He finished the season with a 16–7 record, a 2.82 ERA and 12 complete games.〔 At the conclusion of the season, Christopher was considered the top prospect in the rule 5 draft, and the Philadelphia Athletics selected him with the first pick of the draft. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Russ Christopher」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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