1966

Joe Christopher, an outfielder on the 1962 expansion New York Mets, made his big league debut with Pittsburgh in 1958 and appeared in three games in the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees.

The Pirates of that era had Roberto Clemente, Bill Virdon and Bob Skinner in the outfield, and neither Christopher nor any other outfielder was going to crack that lineup. Though still a backup in 1961, he appeared in 76 games for Pittsburgh and hit a respectable .263. He also stole 6 bases, which led the team.

He was selected by the Mets with their fifth pick in the 1962 expansion draft. As the losses piled up, Christopher was brought to the Mets. He played 119 games and had 314 plate appearances, more than he had from his three seasons in Pittsburgh combined. He batted .342 over the final month of the season to raise his average to .241. Hs best season was with the 1964 Mets, when he hit .300 with 16 homers and 76 RBIs.

He spent four seasons with New York and was traded to the Red Sox for Eddie Bressoud in 1965. He spent a final season with the Sox in 1966, and in June, he and pitcher Earl Wilson were traded to the Detroit Tigers for Don Demeter.

Christopher never returned to the majors with the Tigers. He bounced between several minor-league teams in 1967 and ’68, and his last season of professional baseball came in 1968 with the Reading Phillies of the Eastern League.

Joe Christopher died on October 3, 2023 in Edgetown, MD, at the age of 87 from complications of a stroke in his assisted living facility.