Chris Hartje made his major-league debut as a pinch-hitter for the Brooklyn Dodgers on September 9, 1939. The 24-year-old catcher delivered a go-ahead, two-run double, helping propel the Dodgers over the rival New York Giants. Hartje appeared in nine games that September, recording five hits in 16 at-bats for a .313 average. Although he would never appear in the majors again, he didn’t give up the dream. After serving in the Coast Guard during World War II, Hartje attempted a comeback with the Spokane Indians. A week after he joined the team, his life came to a tragic end.
Christian Henry Hartje was born and raised in San Francisco. He first attracted scouts’ attention as a semipro player in the Bay Area. In 1934, legendary scout Joe Devine signed the young catcher to a contract with the Yankees. Hartje proved to be a rising star, hitting .292 and .289 for the Double-A Kansas City Blues in ’37 and ’38, respectively.
The Yankees had future Hall of Famer Bill Dickey locked in at catcher, so Hartje became expendable. In 1939, New York dealt Hartje to the Brooklyn. Hartje spent most of that season in the minors with the Montreal Royals. He caught his break when Dodgers catcher Babe Phelps suffered a fractured thumb late in the ’39 season. In addition to recording five hits, Hartje drove in five runs. He also walked once and didn’t strike out in any of his 16 at-bats.
Although Hartje performed well in his brief big-league opportunity, it wasn’t enough to secure a roster spot the following spring. The Dodgers optioned him Montreal for the ’40 season. By then, he had developed a reputation as having a carefree attitude and a penchant for enjoying the nightlife. “[Hartje] takes practically nothing seriously,” wrote Marc McNeil in the Montreal Gazette. “That is why he is not sticking up in the major leagues, although he is a pretty good ballplayer.”
Hartje spent the next two seasons with the Syracuse Chiefs before serving in the Coast Guard during the war. While in the Coast Guard, he played in an all-service league that featured a number of major leaguers. Hartje received his discharge from the Coast Guard on September 26, 1945, with a rank of Seaman First Class.
In the summer of ’46, Hartje returned to pro ball with the independent Spokane Indians. Just a week after joining the team, the Indians bus went off the road in the Cascade mountains. Hartje sustained severe burns from the accident and succumbed to his injuries two days later. Hartje was 31.
For a complete biography of Chris Hartje, check out the article I wrote for the SABR BioProject.
You can also read more about Hartje and the 1946 Spokane Indians in my book Season of Shattered Dreams.
