Career
Born in San Francisco, he was a catcher and played in nine games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the major leagues in September during the 1939 baseball season. After signing with the Spokane Indians of the Western International League in June 1946, Hartje died less than a week later when the team"s bus crashed en route to a game. At the time it was the worst accident in United States. sports history, as nine team members were killed and six were injured.
Seriously injured and badly burned, Hartje was taken to Harborview Hospital in Seattle and died the following day, the ninth fatality.
Hartje served with the United States. Coast Guard during World World War II, and was buried in the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California.
