Lew Burdette

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Lew Burdette

Burdette in 1954.
Pitcher
Born: (1926-11-22)November 22, 1926
Nitro, West Virginia
Died: February 6, 2007(2007-02-06) (aged 80)
Winter Garden, Florida
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 26, 1950 for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
July 16, 1967 for the California Angels
Career statistics
Win–loss record 203–144
Earned run average 3.66
Strikeouts 1,074
Teams

Career highlights and awards

Selva Lewis Burdette, Jr. (November 22, 1926 – February 6, 2007) was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves.[1] The team's top right-hander during its years in Milwaukee, he was the Most Valuable Player of the 1957 World Series, leading the franchise to its first championship in 43 years, and the only title in Milwaukee history.[2] An outstanding control pitcher, his career average of 1.84 walks per nine innings pitched places him behind only Robin Roberts (1.73), Carl Hubbell (1.82) and Juan Marichal (1.82) among pitchers with at least 3000 innings since 1920.

Major League career

Born in Nitro, West Virginia, Burdette was signed by the New York Yankees in 1947, and after making two relief appearances for the team in September 1950, he was traded to the Braves in August 1951 for four-time 20-game winner Johnny Sain.[3] Along with left-hander Warren Spahn and Bob Buhl, he gave the Braves one of the best starting rotations in the majors during the 1950s, winning 15 or more games eight times between 1953 and 1961. Burdette led National League pitchers in earned run average in 1956.[4] When Milwaukee won the 1957 World Series against the Yankees, Burdette became the first pitcher in 37 years to win three complete games in a Series, and the first since Christy Mathewson in 1905 to pitch two shutouts (Games 5 and 7).[5][6] In the 1958 Series, however, the Yankees defeated Burdette twice in three starts.[7] In addition to winning 20 games in 1958 and tying Spahn for the National League lead with 21 victories in 1959, Burdette won 19 in 1956 and 1960, 18 in 1961, and 17 in 1957.[1][8]

Burdette was the winning pitcher on May 26, 1959 when the Pittsburgh Pirates' Harvey Haddix pitched a perfect game against the Braves for 12 innings, only to lose in the 13th.[9] Burdette threw a 1–0 shutout, scattering 12 hits. In the ensuing offseason, he joked, "I'm the greatest pitcher that ever lived. The greatest game that was ever pitched in baseball wasn't good enough to beat me, so I've got to be the greatest!" The next year, facing the minimum 27 batters, Burdette pitched a 1–0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 18, 1960.[10] Tony González, the only opposing batter to reach base after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning, was retired on a double play. Burdette helped himself by scoring the only run of the game. Following up his no-hitter, five days later he pitched his third shutout in a row.[11]

In 1963 Burdette was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals (1963–1964), and was later sent to the Chicago Cubs (1964–1965) and Phillies (1965).[3] Signing with the California Angels, he pitched exclusively in relief for the team in 1966 and 1967 before retiring.

Career statistics

In an 18-year career, Burdette posted a 203–144 record with 1074 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA in 3067.1 innings, compiling 158 complete games and 33 shutouts.[1] In two All-Star games, he allowed only one run in seven innings pitched,[12][13] and in 1956 he topped National League pitchers with a 2.70 earned run average.[1] He was twice a twenty game winner and twice led the National League in shutouts.[1] He also led the National League in wins, earned run average, innings and complete games once each.[1] His totals of wins, games and innings with the Braves ranked behind only Spahn and Kid Nichols in franchise history. As a hitter, he compiled a .183 batting average with 75 RBI and 12 home runs;[1] his first two home runs came in the same 1957 game, and he later had two more two-homer games.[14][15]

Burdette was often rumored as having thrown spitballs,[6][16] leading New York Times sportswriter Red Smith to write, "There should be 3 pitching statistics for Burdette: Wins, Losses, and Relative Humidity."

In 1958, a reference to Burdette appeared in an episode of Leave It To Beaver. The text "Lew Burdette just hit a home run and Milwaukee leads seven to one in the series." appears briefly in a few frames showing a letter from the principal to Beaver's parents.[17] Burdette also cut a record in the 1950s entitled "Three Strikes and Then You're Out".

Burdette was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.[18] He died of lung cancer at age 80 in Winter Garden, Florida.[5]

Personal

Burdette's grandson, Nolan Fontana, is a professional baseball player.[19]

Highlights

  • Two-time All-Star (1957, 1959)
  • Third in Cy Young Award voting (1958)
  • Led league in wins (1959)
  • Led league in games started (1959)
  • Led league in complete games (1960)
  • Twice led league in shutouts (1956, 1959)
  • 5 times in top 4 in wins (1956–58, 1960–61)
  • Player of the Month for August 1958

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Lew Burdette at Baseball Reference
  2. ↑ 1957 World Series at Baseball Reference
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lew Burdette Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac
  4. ↑ 1956 National League Pitching Leaders at Baseball Reference
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lew Burdette Obituary at The New York Times February 7, 2007
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lew Burdette: His Moment of Glory Came in '57 Series, by Lou Chapman, Baseball Digest, October 1991, Vol. 50, No. 10, ISSN 0005-609X
  7. ↑ 1958 World Series at Baseball Reference
  8. ↑ 1959 National League Pitching Leaders at Baseball Reference
  9. ↑ May 26, 1959 Pirates-Braves Box Score at Baseball Reference
  10. ↑ August 18, 1960 Phillies-Braves box score at Baseball Reference
  11. ↑ August 23, 1960 Braves-Dodgers box score at Baseball Reference
  12. ↑ 1957 All-Star Game box score at Baseball Reference
  13. ↑ 1959 All-Star Game box score at Baseball Reference
  14. ↑ August 13, 1957 Braves-Reds box score at Baseball Reference
  15. ↑ July 10, 1958 Braves-Dodgers box score at Baseball Reference
  16. ↑ The Case of the Suspected Spitter, LIFE Magazine, September 10, 1956, Vol. 41, No. 11, ISSN 0024-3019
  17. ↑ "All of this is nonsense". Letters of Note. Retrieved 2009-10-13. 
  18. ↑ Lew Burdette at the Florida Sports Hall of Fame
  19. ↑ Fowler, Jeremy (May 20, 2010). "Gators star Nolan Fontana paying tribute to his late grandfather, former pitcher Lew Burdette - Orlando Sentinel". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 31, 2013. 

External links

Preceded by
Joey Jay		 Major League Player of the Month
August 1958 		Succeeded by
Willie Mays
Preceded by
Don Cardwell		 No-hitter pitcher
August 18, 1960 		Succeeded by
Warren Spahn
Preceded by
Harry Dorish		 Atlanta Braves pitching coach
1972–1973 		Succeeded by
Herm Starrette
National League wins champions
National League ERA champions
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