Why this card is awesome: Because he led the league in games pitched in his rookie year. That's probably pretty rare, right?
Cool stat: In fact, only 6 guys since 1901 have appeared in at least 78 games in their first season. (Mind you, the Baseball-Reference.com Play Index doesn't discount cups of coffee, so some players might have appeared in a handful of games one year, and then a ton of games in their official rookie season the following year. They don't make this list.)
4 comments:
Was this guy recognized at the time as one of the best relievers in the game? Because, wow, it looks like he was really, really good, but I've never heard of him before now.
ol Pat Rooney paid great dividends for the buccos eh?.....pffffffffffft....
sure coulda used an arm like burke's!!!
Yeah, Burke was definitely regarded as a good reliever and at one time a decent closer. He also walked away at age 33 when it seemed that he might be able to pitch effectively for a number a years longer.
Tim Burke was regarding as a good, but not great closer in his day. He was a multiple time All-Star, but he put his family above baseball. He left a million dollar contract on the table when he retired and was even willing one year to forego the All-Star game to go to Mexico to adopt a special needs child (the team arranged to have a helicopter on site to take him to the airport after he pitched his inning). Read his story in his autobiography "Major League Dad." Tim is one of the classiest men to ever wear a major league uniform.
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