Lew Burdette: Nitro, West Virginia to Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, to World Series MVP (Part I)

Lew Burdette was MVP, 1957 World Series; 1956 National League (NL) ERA leader; 2x NL All-Star (1957, 1959); 1959 NL wins leader; with an August 18, 1960 no-hitter to his credit. This blog highlights his 1950-51 Puerto Rico Winter League (PRWL) season—one that helped the Boston Braves acquire him from the NY Yankees, on August 29, 1951, as a “throw-in” in the deal in which the Yankees paid the Braves $50,000 for Johnny Sain. For other details, please see Burdette’s fine SABR bio by Alex Kupfer:   https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/lew-burdette/.  (Kupfer did not mention Burdette’s stint with Mayagüez.) Some pivotal items for Burdette were:

• 3-0 with a 0.67 ERA in the 1957 World Series, for Milwaukee, versus the NY Yankees.
• His first pro season, at 20, began with the 1947 Norfolk Tars, the same club where Hiram Bithorn—Puerto Rico’s first big-league pitcher (1942 Chicago Cubs), but not the Island’s first big-leaguer, also made his pro debut at 20.
• Nervous mannerisms such as fixing his jersey and hat, wiping his forehead, touching his lips, and talking to himself could, in the words of one of his managers, Fred Haney, “make coffee nervous.” Burdette was rumored to throw a spitball.

Part I concludes with Burdette’s 1950-51 PRWL season. Part II will focus on his big-league highlights including MVP, the 1957 World Series.

Burdette after besting NY Yankees, Game 7, 1957 World Series. Photo credit: www.yahoo.com

Nitro, West Virginia

Nitro’s “claim to fame” originated in World War I, after the U.S. Congress passed the  “Deficiency Appropriations Act” on October 6, 1917. This Act provided for the construction of three huge explosive plants, each capable of producing 500,000 pounds of gunpowder per day. The number-one location picked to build the first plant was a wide section of bottomland along the Great Kanawha River, 14 miles below Charleston, West Virginia’s capital city. Simply put, Nitro became a “boom town.”https://cityofnitro.org/about-nitro-west-virginia/history-of-nitro/

Burdette was born in Nitro, on November 22, 1926, and graduated from Nitro High School, in 1944. His high school did not have a baseball team but he starred in football. And he went 12-2 in an Industrial League, before his six months as an Air Force Reservist in 1945. Burdette enrolled at the University of Richmond and pitched collegiately for the 1946 Richmond Spiders.

Whitey Ford’s 1950 Kansas City Blues Roommate and Harvey Haddix’s Mound Opponent

Burdette was a “prankster,” who liked to have fun. So did Whitey Ford, his roommate, part of the 1950 Kansas City Blues season. The 54-99 Blues were one of 15 minor-league clubs in the Yankees’ 15-team farm system. Ford (6-3 W-L, 3.22 ERA, 12 starts) was the Blues’ ace and continued his fine pitching (9-1 W-L) after being promoted to the 1950 NY Yankees. Conversely, Burdette (7-7, 4.79 ERA, 18 starts, nine relief appearances) struggled. The AAA American Association’s best pitcher was Harvey Haddix, an 18-game winner for the 1950 Columbus Red Birds. “Lew was inconsistent that (AAA) season,” recalled Haddix. “He became a solid starter for the Braves a few years later. In 1959 [May 26] he was my opponent—I retired 36 straight Braves; lost 1-0, when (Félix) Mantilla got on base, on an error, and scored the only run…we pitched complete games—a tough loss.” Burdette pitched a 13-inning CG at County Stadium; allowing 12 hits; fanning two Pirates, with zero walks.

Burdette: 1950-51 Mayagüez Indios

Wayne Blackburn was the second choice to manage the 1950-51 “Tribe.” Jackie Robinson was Mayagüez owner Alfonso Valdés’ first choice but this contract was denied by Commissioner Happy Chandler. Jorge Colón Delgado’s history of the Mayagüez franchise clearly indicated that Jackie Robinson nearly became their 1950-51 skipper. Instead, Valdés hired Wayne Blackburn, who led the 1949-50 Carta Vieja Yankees—Panamá Winter League—to the February 1950 Caribbean Series Title. “We got off to a slow start,” recalled Blackburn. “Valdés encouraged me to add reinforcements via a trip to the (U.S.) mainland. I convinced Lee MacPhail Jr., Farm Director of the Yankees, to let Burdette pitch for Mayagüez; Lee was reluctant at first. The [Detroit] Tigers agreed we could bring George Lerchen, from the Toledo Mud Hens, down.”

Here are some Burdette highlights with Mayagüez:

• Joined them in early November 1950, after the PRWL season began on October 12, 1950
• Defeated Ponce Lions and San Juan (SJ) Senators in several of his first few starts
• Met Jackie Robinson, when Alfonso Valdés hosted Jackie and his wife, Rachel, who were in town for the movie viewing of “The Jackie Robinson Story” (SJ owner Rafael Ramos Cobián also hosted Jackie and Rachel Robinson for the SJ portion of this trip.)
• Pitched an 11-inning CG win over Ponce and Tite Arroyo, November 22, 1950 (Carlos Bernier drove in the tying run and scored the game-winner)
• Interacted with Rogers Hornsby, Ponce’s MGR, and Luis R. Olmo, Caguas player-MGR
• Won his fifth game (5-3 record) after a mid-December 1950 win over SJ
• Improved to 6-3 with a 4-1 victory over the Aguadilla Sharks, on December 19.

Lou Limmer Episode

Limmer wasn’t available to face Burdette on December 19, 1950. He “escaped” from Aguadilla on December 18, by taking an Aguadilla-to-SJ “publico” (jitney) at 3:30 a.m., and catching a flight to New York City. His main concern was getting back pay from 1949-50, and he finally received it. Limmer was a fine PRWL hitter, who led the 1950 American Association with 29 HR and 111 RBI, for the St. Paul Saints, Brooklyn’s top minor-league club, one of its 24 minor-league teams. Limmer opined: “Burdette’s pitching improved with Mayagüez.” Limmer was suspended from playing winter ball but returned to the 1955-56 PRWL to help Caguas win the post-season playoffs. Tables I-II include some of Burdette’s 1950-51 stats.

Table I: Mayagüez 1950-51 Pitchers

Pitcher	W-L	PCT	K
L. Burdette	8-6	.571	53
R. Lint	4-4	.500	42
A. Alicea	3-6	.333	15
A. Alonso	3-11	.214	25
A. Perry	1-1	.500	12
W. Morales	1-2	.333	13
D. Roselló	1-2	.333	6
N. Irizarry	1-5	.167	25
C. Conde	1-8	.111	28
W. Fields	0-2	.000	9
Other (7)	1-4	.250	20
Totals	24-51	.320	248

Source: 1950-51 Don Q Baseball Cues.

Table II: 1950-51 PRWL Most Wins and K’s

Pitcher	Team	Wins	Pitcher	Team	K’s
Mike Clark	Caguas	14	Pete Wojey	Aguadilla	116
Tite Arroyo	Ponce	13	José G. Santiago	Ponce	111
Rubén Gómez	Santurce	13	Tite Arroyo	Ponce	94
Manolo Cáceres	Caguas	12	Mike Clark	Caguas	77
José G. Santiago	Ponce	11	Rubén Gómez	Santurce	61
Roberto Vargas	Caguas	10	Roberto Vargas	Caguas	61
Pete Wojey	Aguadilla	10	Bill Powell	Santurce	57
Bill Powell	Santurce	9	Cot Deal	San Juan (SJ)	55
Lew Burdette	Mayagüez	8	Lew Burdette	Mayagüez	53

Source: 1950-51 Don Q Baseball Cues.

December 26, 1950, PRWL All-Star Game

Only two pitchers received more fan votes than Burdette—Tite Arroyo and José “Pantalones” Santiago per Table III. Burdette started for the Imports, comprised of Stateside players, with the exception of backup catcher Griffin Tirado. Imports’ MGR George Scales got PRWL permission to add Tirado to the Imports, who were defeated, 5-1, by the Natives (Puerto Rican and Dominican players). Burdette gave up a run in his two innings. Caguas’ Mike Clark took the loss. Table IV is a mythical 1950s PRWL All-Star Team, solely based on single-season BA.

Table III: December 26, 1950 PRWL All-Star Game—Imports-Natives

Imports (1R-6H-1E)	LP-Clark	#Fan	Natives (5R-8H-1E)	WP-Vargas	#Fan
Player/Pitcher/POS	Team	Votes	Player/Pitcher/POS	Team	Votes
Clint Courtney-C	Ponce	8500	Joe Montalvo-C	SJ	5584
George Crowe-1B&	Caguas	6441	Nino Escalera-1B	SJ	7059
Gene Markland-2B	Caguas	6441	Carlos Santiago-2B	Mayagüez	7062
Bill Skowron-3B	Ponce	6586	Vic Power-3B	Caguas	7332
Stan Breard-SS	Caguas	6608	Jaime Almendro-SS	SJ	5632
George Lerchen-LF!	Mayagüez	6342	Luis R. Olmo-LF	Caguas	4928
Willard Brown-CF	Santurce	6342	Canena Márquez-CF	Aguadilla	4797
Bob Thurman-RF	Santurce	4092	Carlos Bernier-RF	Mayagüez	3822
Lew Burdette	Mayagüez	7604	Tite Arroyo	Ponce	8133
Mike Clark	Caguas	5662	José G. Santiago	Ponce	7851
Cot Deal	SJ	5584	Roberto Vargas	Caguas	6673
Bill Powell	Santurce	4905	Rubén Gómez	Santurce	5329
Pete Wojey	Aguadilla	3681	Manuel Cáceres	Caguas	4862
Bob Thurman	Santurce	3562	Milton Ralat	Aguadilla-SJ	3541
Griffin Tirado-C	Ponce		Luis St. Claire-C	Caguas
Alonzo Perry-1B	Mayagüez		José A. Burgos-3B	Ponce
Junior Gilliam-2B	Santurce		Coco Ferrer-SS	Santurce
Buster Clarkson-SS	Santurce		Alfonso Gerard-OF	Santurce
Jim Russell-OF	SJ		Jim Rivera-OF	Caguas
Al Gerheauser-P	Ponce		Pancho Coímbre	Ponce	coach
Roy Hughes	Caguas	coach	Monchile Concepción	Santurce	coach
Dick Seay	Santurce	coach	Fellé Delgado	SJ	coach
George Scales	Santurce	MGR	Luis R. Olmo	Caguas	MGR

#Fans voted for POS players-pitchers. &Crowe replaced Lou Limmer. !Lerchen replaced Taft Wright. Sources: The Sporting News, January 3, 1951; 1950-51 Don Q Baseball Cues.

Table IV: PRWL Mythical All-Star Team—1950s—Single-Season BA

Player	POS	Team	Season	AB	H	BA
Dixie Howell	C	Mayagüez	1954-55	227	76	.335
George Crowe	1B	Caguas	1950-51	285	107	.375
Jack Dittmer	2B	SJ	1951-52	199	65	.327
Rance Pless	3B	Caguas	1955-56	217	73	.336
Bill Harrell	SS	Santurce	1957-58	208	66	.317
Roberto Clemente!	RF	Santurce-C	1956-57	225	89	.396
Willie Mays	CF	Santurce	1954-55	172	68	.395
George Lerchen	LF	Mayagüez	1950-51	143	53	.371
Bob Thurman#	P	Santurce	1950-51	309	112	.362
Totals				1985	709	.357

Clemente was sold to Caguas, late December 1956. #Thurman pitched and

played RF. Sources: Héctor Barea, 1981, and José Crescioni Benítez, 1997.

Blackburn and Burdette are Released

Burdette ended 1950 with his seventh win—4-3 victory over first-place Caguas, on December 29. Luis R. Olmo, their player-MGR, was impressed with Burdette. “I played for the 1950 Boston Braves,” noted Olmo, who also scouted for them in Puerto Rico. “I alerted [Lou] Perini (principal owner, Boston Braves), that Burdette was a good pitcher.”

Blackburn was fired pre-New Year’s Day and replaced with 1B Alonzo “His Majesty” Perry, in a cost-cutting move. Perry and Lerchen were the team’s best hitters. Burdette won his final game in a Mayagüez uniform, 4-1 over last-place Aguadilla, on January 2, 1951 but unconditionally released 10 days later, with an 8-6 record. Fans and radio commentators “raised a howl.”

Mayagüez GM Babel Pérez, stated, in January 31, 1951, The Sporting News: “Failure of our club to win games was the sole reason for dropping Burdette. He did a good job and his efforts were appreciated by us but he received a letter from the Yankees asking him to report to Spring Training on February 15, 1951, so we decided he ought to take a rest.” Alfonso Valdés added: “Burdette is one of the best players I had on my club. Maybe he feels that we treated him unfairly when we released him but I am sure the rest he will have before joining the Yankees’ spring training camp will do him a lot of good. We saw to it that we didn’t overwork Burdette in giving him pitching assignments, realizing that his future is just ahead with the Yankees. The Mayagüez organization wishes the boy only the best of luck.”

Mayagüez catcher Luis “King Kong” Villodas—Puerto Rico’s first big-league catcher, having played for the 1946 and 1947 Baltimore Elite Giants—had a favorable impression of catching Burdette in 1950-51. “Lew took his starts very seriously,” affirmed Villodas. “I recall a Three Kings Day (January 6, 1951) game against Santurce, when Bob Thurman shut us out [2-0]. Lew gave it his best and was disappointed—and so were we—that we did not score any runs for him.”

Grateful acknowledgment to Lew Burdette for his written responses to the author’s questions, in 1992. Thanks to Joey Black, Wayne Blackburn, Harvey Haddix, George Lerchen, Lou Limmer, Luis R. Olmo, and Luis “King Kong” Villodas. Jorge Colón Delgado, Official Historian, of the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League, and Coordinator, of the Puerto Rico Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, did the editing-photo placements, and proofing.