Former Pitcher Short, 53, Dies

Chris Short, who won 135 games in 15 major league seasons, died Thursday in a convalescent home at Wilmington, Del., where he had been since lapsing into a coma 2 1/2 years ago. He was 53.

Short had a ruptured aneurysm in October, 1988, and fell into a coma from which he never regained consciousness.

Short pitched 14 years with the Philadelphia Phillies, winning 17 or more games four times during a five-year period starting in 1964. He was 20-10 in 1966, the first Phillie left-hander to win 20 games since Eppa Rixey in 1916.

Short ended his career in the American League, pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1973.

Among all-time Phillie pitchers, Short ranks third in strikeouts (1,585) fourth in games (459), victories (132), shutouts (24) and innings pitched (2,252); third in games started (127), and ninth in complete games (88).