Larry Christenson, 1980 Phillies Champion Remembered as 'Life of the Clubhouse,' Dies at 72

Larry Christenson, the longtime Philadelphia Phillies pitcher who helped the franchise win its first World Series title in 1980, died at 72. The club announced he died unexpectedly on August 28 while on a fishing trip with family and friends in Washington state, and it did not disclose a cause of death. Christenson spent his entire 11 major league seasons in Philadelphia, arriving as a teenager in 1973 and staying through the World Series win seven years later. In his MLB debut on April 13, 1973, at 19, he pitched a 7-1 complete-game victory over the New York Mets. His 1977 season included a grand slam against the Chicago Cubs and earned him NL Pitcher of the Month honors.