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February 6
February 6 Lew Burdette - He was the original Mark Fidrych
February 6, 2007 Lew Burdette passed away.
When he posed for his 1959 Topps baseball card, Lew Burdette grabbed teammate Warren Spahn’s glove and pretended to be a lefty. Topps missed the joke and printed the card with the error.
Burdette would sign his name “Lewis” on his contracts, and would alternate between “Lou” and “Lew” for autograph-seekers. He said he really didn’t care how his first name (which was actually his middle name) was spelled.
Years before Mark Fidrych became famous for talking to the baseball, Lew Burdette used the same antics to psych himself up on the mound. Often accused of throwing a spitball, Burdette never bothered to refute that charge, and used the paranoia to his advantage. In the 1957 World Series, he shut out the New York Yankees twice in four days to give the Milwaukee Braves their only World Championship.
Lew Burdette
On October 10, 1957, Burdette shut out the Yankees for the second time in four days. He was the first pitcher in 37 years to win three complete games in a single WS and the first since Christy Mathewson (1905) to throw two shutouts in a single Series. The win gave Milwaukee the world championship and earned Burdette Series MVP honors.
Hall of Fame lefty Warren Spahn and righthander Burdette gave the Braves a formidable one-two punch, with 443 victories between them in 13 seasons. A slider and sinkerball pitcher, Burdette was widely accused of throwing a spitball as well. His constant fidgeting on the mound fed that suspicion; it didn’t indicate nervousness. Teammate Gene Conley said, “Lew had ice water in his veins. Nothing bothered him, on or off the mound. He was a chatterbox out there … He would talk to himself, to the batter, the umpire, and sometimes even to the ball.”
Besides winning 20 games in 1958 and 21 in ’59, Burdette won 19 twice and 18 once. His 2.70 ERA topped the NL in 1956. In two All-Star Games, he allowed only one run in seven innings. He no-hit the Phillies on August 18, 1960.
On May 26, 1959, he was the winning pitcher when Pittsburgh’s Harvey Haddix hurled 12 perfect innings against the Braves, only to lose in the 13th. That winter, the puckish Burdette asked for a $10,000 raise, explaining: “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!”
“My best pitches were a sinker and slider,” Burdette said. “I’d move the ball in and out. I always tried to keep it down. I was always being accused of throwing at the hitters. Early Wynn always said that he was the meanest pitcher in the American League, and I was the meanest in the National League.” — Sports Collectors Digest, September 4, 1998
"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!" - Lew Burdette, 1959
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Today’s Featured Game: Game 7 October 10, 1957 New York Yankees vs Milwaukee Braves - Lew Burdette goes for his third win of the series!
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Trivia:
The Wizard of Oz, Ozzie Smith set the single season record for assists by a shortstop in 1980 with 621. Who’s record did he break?
A. Honus Wagner
B. Luke Appling
C. Glenn Wright
D. Dave Bancroft
Hint: The answer is below
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Born, February 6, 1901 Glenn Wright was an outstanding shortstop who led the NL in assists and double plays his first two seasons. He also led the NL with 616 at-bats as a Pirate rookie in 1924. In 1925 he made an unassisted triple play on a line drive hit by the Cardinals’ Jim Bottomley. He batted more than .300 in three of five seasons with Pittsburgh and played in the 1925 and 1927 World Series. Though he reached career highs of 22 HR, 126 RBI, and a .321 batting average with Brooklyn in 1930, the strong, accurate arm that had earned him the nickname Buckshot was gone, ruined in a 1929 handball accident. His playing career quickly declined, but he remained in baseball as a minor league manager and scout.
February 6 1935 – Demanding a yearly salary of $25,000, future Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean becomes a holdout. The St. Louis Cardinals’ right-handed ace will sign for $18,500 the following day.
February 6, 1958, Ted Williams signs a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. Reports on the worth of the contract estimate from $135,000 to $150,000. Either way, Williams becomes the highest paid player in the history of the franchise.
February 6, 1958, New York sportswriter and broadcaster Ford Frick is named the public relations director of the National League. In nine months, Frick will become president of the National League, and will later become commissioner, succeeding Happy Chandler. Frick had previously played an instrumental role in promoting the birth of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Died: February 6, 2007 in Winter Garden, FL, Years before Mark Fidrych became famous for talking to the baseball, Lew Burdette used the same antics to psych himself up on the mound. Often accused of throwing a spitball, Burdette never bothered to refute that charge, and used the paranoia to his advantage. In the 1957 World Series, he shut out the New York Yankees twice in four days to give the Milwaukee Braves their only World Championship.
February 6 2014 — Hall of Fame slugger Ralph Kiner dies at age 91; in addition to his on-field exploits, Kiner was a New York Mets broadcaster from the team’s inaugural season in 1962, although he had slowed his pace considerably following health issues in recent years.
Quote of the day:
"There should be 3 pitching statistics for Burdette: Wins, Losses, and Relative Humidity."
Hall of Famer Red Smith, The New York Times
MILESTONES
Birthday Boys!
Babe Ruth, Bill Dawley, Dale Long, Glenn Wright, Richie Zisk and Smokey Burgess
Passings.
Bob Muncrief, Frank Zak, Lew Burdette and Ralph Kiner
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Trivia Answer: Glenn Wright, 601 set in 1924. Wright is the only other shortstop in history to record 600 Assists in a single season. Dave Bancroft recorded 598 in 1920 and 579 in 1922. For more modern players, Ivan de Jesus recorded 595 in 1977.
