The Phillies first draft selection in June 1972, the 6’4″ Christensen won his ML debut in 1973 at age 19. He improved each year, and in 1977 went 19-6, winning 15 of his last 16. Hampered by injuries, he underwent three elbow operations and, in a 1979 charity bike-a-thon, broke his collarbone. He was knocked out in the first inning of Game Four of the 1980 WS, but won a divisional playoff game for the Phillies in strike-shortened 1981. He hit 11 career homers.
