Joe Christopher Revisited

This time we revisit an earlier subject, former Mets outfielder Joe Christopher.

We covered a previously unrecorded transaction sending him to Richmond here.

Now we are going way back to the start of his career.

Christopher's Baseball-Reference page lists his first transaction as:

Before 1955 Season: Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent.

But we have found an article that contradicts that. Christopher started his pro career in the Orioles organization, in Phoenix, a Class C team for them at the time. Partway through the 1955 season he goes to the Pirates system. Turns out he was involved in a trade that included former major leaguer Earl Smith.

From the Arizona Republic of July 12, 1955:

"Earl Smith, slugging outfielder from last year's champion Stars, was returned to Phoenix yester day along with Howard Padgett.

But it was no bargain basement deal for the Stars, who had to sell Outfielders Joe Christopher and Gene Stair to Lincoln, Neb of the Western League in order to complete the deal."

Lincoln was a Pirates Class A team, and except for a stint in Mexico City, Christopher stayed in the Pirate chain until his major league debut.

The deal was not on Smith's Baseball-Reference page.

Still have to find a few deals involving Christopher, so we will keep looking. 

Christopher pic from eBay.

Smith stolen from BaseballHappenings.net

Joe Christopher Marches to Richmond

Joe Christopher is best known as one of the Mets' early outfielders, and had a pretty good season in 1964. Some baseball seamheads will know that Christopher was on the 1960 World Series champion Pirates and scored a couple runs in the Series.

Christopher stayed with the Mets until after the 1965 season, when he was sent to the Red Sox. He didn't get off to a good start in Boston in 1966, and was dealt to the Tigers, and sent to Syracuse, the Detroit AAA team at the time.

His Baseball Reference page shows he went to Richmond and the Braves' system late that season, but no transaction was shown. His SABR on-line bio article mentions the following:

"In 1966 he played for the Syracuse Chiefs, Detroit’s affiliate. Joe’s marriage to Ana ended in divorce that year, not long after he was sold by Syracuse to the Richmond Braves (for whom it does not appear he played)."

Hinting at a deal, and this Syracuse Post-Standard article confirms a sale:

"Purchase of outfielder Joe Christ o p h c r from ihe Syracuse C h i e f s w a s revealed here Tuesday night by the Richmond Braves* The deal, which reportedly was made after a conference b e t w e e n general manager John Mcllalc o[ the Atlanta Braves and general manager Jim Campbell of the Detroit Tigers, was said to have been a straight cash transaction" (misspellings copied straight from synopsis)

That would put the sale date at the day before the article: August 16, 1966.

 Christopher did play for the Richmond club about 8 games according to Baseball Reference, but then spent 1967 in the Cardinals and Pirates minor leagues. I'll follow up on this if those deals are uncovered.

Christopher pic from SABR.org,