Chris Short

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Chris Short
Pitcher
Born: September 19, 1937
Died: August 1, 1991 (aged 53)
Batted: Right Threw: Left
MLB debut
April 19, 1959
for the Philadelphia Phillies
Final game
September 18, 1973
for the Milwaukee Brewers
Career statistics
Win-Loss Record     135-132
ERA     3.43
K     1629
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • All star in 1964 and 1967

Christopher Joseph "Style" Short (September 19, 1937 - August 1, 1991) was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies (1959-1972), and in his final year, for the Milwaukee Brewers (1973). He was a left-handed pitcher, but batted righty. He was born in Milford, Delaware.

Short was considered a top pitcher from 1964 through 1968 with the Phillies. He was 17-9 in 1964, with a 2.20 ERA in 220 and 2/3 innings pitched. It was his career-best ERA and was third in the league behind only Sandy Koufax (1.74) and Don Drysdale (2.18). Teammate Jim Bunning was 5th that season with a 2.63 ERA. Juan Marichal finished 4th (2.48). That year, however, the Phillies and Short suffered a heartbreaking loss in the pennant race. After leading by six and a half games with 12 to go, manager Gene Mauch decided to start his two aces, Bunning and Short, for eight of the last 12 games. Short pitched respectably despite the heavy workload, giving up only six earned runs in 18 innings over his final three starts. But weak hitting, poor relief pitching and atrocious defense (the team committed 17 errors in a 10 game losing streak) doomed Philadelphia. The Phillies lost three games in a row to the hot St. Louis Cardinals, who won the NL race by 1 game and went on to defeat the New York Yankees in the 1964 World Series.

Short ended up winning 55 games from 1964 through 1966, topping off with a 20-10 record in '66. He ended his career on September 18, 1973 with the Brewers. Back problems cut his career a little short.

In 15 seasons, Short finished with a 135-132 record, just over a .500 winning percentage. He had a career ERA of 3.43 and 1629 career strikeouts in 501 games (308 starts). He allowed 886 earned runs in 2325 innings pitched.

Short died in Wilmington, Delaware. He suffered a ruptured aneurysm in 1988, lapsed into a coma, and never regained consciousness. He had 3 sons.

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