Chris Short
Encyclopedia
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 strikeout
s in 501 games (308 starts). He allowed 886 earned run
s in 2325 innings pitched
.
Short ranks 4th among Phillies pitchers all time in wins (132), 21st in ERA (3.38), 4th in games appeared in (459), 3rd in games started (301), 19th in complete games (88), 4th in shutouts (24), 33rd in saves (16), 4th in innings pitched (2253), and 3rd in strikeouts (1585).
In 1979, Short was inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
. Between 1985 and 1988, Chris Short taught young pitchers at Suburban Baseball Camp, which was based in Warminster, Pennsylvania.
. He suffered a ruptured aneurysm
in 1988, lapsed into a coma
, and never regained consciousness. He had 3 sons.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1959–1972), and in his final year, for the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1973). He was a left-handed pitcher, but batted righty. He was born in Milford, Delaware
Milford, Delaware
Milford is a city in Kent and Sussex counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 9,559....
.
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
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
(1.74) and Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
(2.18). Teammate Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
was 5th that season with a 2.63 ERA. Juan Marichal
Juan Marichal
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters'...
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
Gene Mauch
Gene William Mauch was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers , Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs , Boston Braves , St...
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
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
race by 1 game and went on to defeat the New York Yankees in the 1964 World Series
1964 World Series
The 1964 World Series pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees, with the Cardinals prevailing in seven games. St...
.
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
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
. He had a career ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 3.43 and 1629 career strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s in 501 games (308 starts). He allowed 886 earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s in 2325 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
Short ranks 4th among Phillies pitchers all time in wins (132), 21st in ERA (3.38), 4th in games appeared in (459), 3rd in games started (301), 19th in complete games (88), 4th in shutouts (24), 33rd in saves (16), 4th in innings pitched (2253), and 3rd in strikeouts (1585).
In 1979, Short was inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
The Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame is a membership-based organization founded in 1976. The organization runs a museum with exhibits at Daniel S...
. Between 1985 and 1988, Chris Short taught young pitchers at Suburban Baseball Camp, which was based in Warminster, Pennsylvania.
Death
Short died in Wilmington, DelawareWilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. He suffered a ruptured aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
in 1988, lapsed into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
, and never regained consciousness. He had 3 sons.