lit a candle 11h agoRead that he was always the one making sure the alumni stayed in touch. That takes real character, especially in professional sports where people scatter. Sounds like he built something that lasts.
Their story
Larry Richard Christenson was born on 10 November 1953 in Everett, Washington, and grew into a multi-sport star at Marysville High School (later Marysville-Pilchuck). He pitched, played quarterback, ran cross country, and drew Pac-8 basketball interest before baseball scouts filled the stands. As a senior in 1972 he posted an…
Larry Richard Christenson was born on 10 November 1953 in Everett, Washington, and grew into a multi-sport star at Marysville High School (later Marysville-Pilchuck). He pitched, played quarterback, ran cross country, and drew Pac-8 basketball interest before baseball scouts filled the stands. As a senior in 1972 he posted an 8-2 record with 143 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 72 innings and an ERA of 0.28. He had already thrown back-to-back no-hitters as a junior and once struck out 18 in a seven-inning game. A chronic back condition (spondylolisthesis / missing vertebra in contemporary reports) led one doctor, when Christenson was 14, to suggest he take up the violin instead of sports. He kept pitching anyway, worked part-time at a lumberyard, and the day after graduation the Philadelphia Phillies selected him third overall in the first round of the 1972 MLB amateur draft, behind only Dave Roberts and Rick Manning.
He signed and reported to the Pulaski Phillies of the Appalachian League, then jumped to the majors after scant minor-league innings. On 13 April 1973, still 19, he started against the New York Mets and threw a complete-game 7-1 win, briefly the youngest player in MLB until David Clyde debuted later that summer. After early struggles and a demotion, Jim Bunning managed him at Eugene and Toledo and preached focus. By mid-1975 Christenson was back to stay. He went 11-6 that year, then helped power three straight NL East titles from 1976 to 1978: 13-8 with a 3.68 ERA in 1976; a career-best 19-6 in 1977, including a grand slam against the Chicago Cubs on 27 September that helped clinch the division; and 13-14 with a 3.24 ERA in 1978, when he started Game 1 of the NLCS. He was also an unusually productive hitting pitcher: 11 career home runs tied Rick Wise for the most by a Phillies pitcher.
Injuries defined the second half of his career. A February 1979 bicycle accident broke his collarbone; groin and elbow problems followed; in 1980 surgeons removed bone chips and spurs from his right elbow. He still finished 1980 at 5-1, started Game 3 of the NLCS against Houston (six scoreless innings, no-decision), and started Game 4 of the World Series against Kansas City, lasting only six batters before the Royals erupted. Philadelphia won the Series in six. In the 1981 NL Division Series he started Game 3 against Montreal and beat the Expos 4-1 with eight strikeouts over six innings, calling it the biggest win of his career after years of injuries. He logged 223 innings in 1982, then after a start against San Diego on 3 June 1983 faced elbow reconstruction so severe that pioneer surgeon Frank Jobe later grafted tendon so Christenson could perform ordinary daily tasks. The Phillies released him on 10 November 1983, his 30th birthday. He never pitched professionally again. Career line: 83-71, 3.79 ERA, 781 strikeouts, 1,402.2 innings, 27 complete games, six shutouts, 9.0 Baseball-Reference WAR.
After baseball he built an institutional investing career, joining Prudential Securities in Philadelphia in 1986 and later founding Christenson Investment Partners as president. He kept season tickets, raised money for Phillies Charities and other local causes, and earned the clubhouse nickname "Mother Hen" from teammates for keeping alumni phone trees alive. Randy Lerch and others credited him with friendship and career help long after the final out. He was divorced as of a 2004 Seattle Times profile and was the father of daughters Libby and Claire, whom the Phillies named in 2026 condolences. He kept Northwest property in Leavenworth and Winthrop and remained an outdoorsman. On the morning of 28 August 2026 he died unexpectedly at age 72 while on a fishing trip with family and friends in Washington. Cause of death was not made public. Mike Schmidt called him a friend of 50 years who never forgot a moment spent with you; Larry Bowa remembered the life of the clubhouse. The Phillies said the city would not forget what LC gave the franchise.
This memorial is for Larry Richard Christenson (1953-2026), Philadelphia Phillies pitcher and 1980 World Series champion, also known as LC. Do not confuse him with chess grandmaster Larry Christiansen (different spelling).
Biography adapted from EN Wikipedia; Baseball-Reference; RIP Baseball 2026; ESPN; CBS Philly; FOX 29; SI; Seattle Times 2004; Phillies.
In their own words
“Larry was very special, the guy that kept in touch with all of us, he always had a smile on his face, he never forgot a moment he spent with you. His passing will leave a hole in all of our hearts.”
Mike Schmidt, Phillies tribute statement, August 2026.
“LC was a tremendous teammate, an outstanding pitcher and a true friend. Win or lose, he was always the life of the clubhouse.”
Larry Bowa, Phillies Wall of Famer statement via club, August 2026.
“The club and its fans are forever grateful for his contributions and the legacy he leaves behind in Philadelphia.”
Philadelphia Phillies official death announcement, August 2026.
“Larry became known as the Mother Hen”
Randy Lerch, describing Christenson keeping alumni phone numbers after most had retired (quoted in RIP Baseball obituary).
“Tell everybody in the great Northwest I said hello... There's no place like it.”
Larry Christenson, Seattle Times flashback on Marysville roots, 20 April 2004.
Photos
1Larry Christenson, Philadelphia Phillies 1973 photocard.
by People Forever
Your dad had good taste. Christenson was the real deal.