Larry Christenson, 1980 World Series Champion, Dies at 72

Larry Christenson, a pitcher who was part of the Philadelphia Phillies' 1980 World Series championship team, died unexpectedly on Friday at the age of 72. The Phillies announced his passing, stating he was on a fishing trip with family and friends in his native Washington state at the time. A cause of death was not immediately revealed. Christenson was a first-round draft pick, selected third overall by the Phillies in 1972 out of Marysville High School in Washington. He made his major league debut at age 19 on April 13, 1973, throwing a complete game in a victory against the New York Mets. He spent his entire 11-year career with Philadelphia, compiling a regular-season record of 83-71 with a 3.79 ERA over 243 appearances, including 220 starts. His most productive stretch came between 1975 and 1978, during which he won a career-high 19 games in 1977. Christenson was a key member of the rotation that helped the Phillies reach the postseason multiple times in that period. He contributed to the franchise's first World Series title in 1980, though he made only 14 starts that season due to injury.