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

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 II picks up with Burdette’s legacy via 1957 World Series pitching for Milwaukee versus the NY Yankees. It also includes two Tables on AL and NL 20-game winners who pitched in the Puerto Rico Winter League (PRWL), including Burdette.

Burdette’s Big-League Highlights

Twelve hurlers won three games in an AL-NL World Series, including Burnette, per Table I.

Table I: Twelve Hurlers with Three Wins—One AL-NL World Series

Pitcher	Team	Year	G	SHO	W-L	IP	H	ER	K	BB	ERA	WHIP
Bill Dineen	BOS	1903	4	2	3-1	35	29	8	28	8	2.06	1.06
Deacon Philippe	PGH	1903	5	0	3-2	44	38	15	22	3	3.07	0.93
Christy Mathewson	NYG	1905	3	3	3-0	27	13	0	18	1	0.00	0.52
Babe Adams	PGH	1909	3	1	3-0	27	18	4	11	6	1.33	0.89
Jack Coombs	PHIL	1910	3	0	3-0	27	24	10	17	14	3.33	1.41
Joe Wood	BOS	1912	4	0	3-1	22	27	11	21	3	4.50	1.36
Red Faber	CWS	1917	4	0	3-1	27	21	5	9	3	1.67	0.89
Stan Coveleski	CLE	1920	3	1	3-0	27	15	2	8	2	0.67	0.63
Harry Brecheen	SLC	1946	3	1	3-0	20	14	1	11	5	0.45	0.95
Lew Burdette	MIL	1957	3	2	3-0	27	21	2	13	4	0.67	0.93
Bob Gibson	SLC	1967	3	1	3-0	27	14	3	26	5	1.00	0.70
Mickey Lolich	DET	1968	3	0	3-0	27	20	5	21	6	1.67	0.96
Totals			41	11	36-5	337	254	66	205	60	1.76	0.93

Source: Baseball Reference.

Tables II-III compare Burdette to Johnny Sain, acquired by the Yankees for $50,000, with Burdette going to the Boston Braves, on August 29, 1951. Table IV lists World Series stats for five Braves’ hurlers, including Burnette.

Table II: Lew Burdette’s Big-League Regular Season Stats Versus Johnny Sain

Pitcher	G	GS	CG	SHO	W-L	IP	H	K	BB	ERA	WHIP
Burdette	626	373	158	33	203-144	3067.1	3186	1074	628	3.66	1.24
Sain	412	245	140	16	139-116	2125.2	2145	910	619	3.49	1.30

Source: Baseball Reference.

Table III: Burdette’s 1957 and 1958 World Series Stats Versus Johnny Sain

Pitcher	G	GS	CG	SHO	W-L	IP	H	K	BB	ERA	WHIP
Burdette	6	6	4	2	4-2	49.1	43	25	8	2.92	1.03
Sain#	6	2	2	1	2-2	30.2	27	15	6	2.64	1.08

#1948 Boston Braves; 1951, 1952, 1953 NY Yankees. Source: Baseball Almanac.

Table IV: Burdette’s World Series Stats Versus Four Cooperstown Hall of Famers#

Pitcher	G	GS	CG	SHO	W-L	IP	H	K	BB	ERA	WHIP
Burdette	6	6	4	2	4-2	49.1	43	25	8	2.92	1.03
Glavine	8	8	3	0	4-3	58.1	33	38	20	2.16	0.91
Maddux	5	5	1	0	2-3	38.2	28	18	7	2.09	0.91
Smoltz	8	8	0	0	2-2	51	44	52	21	2,47	1.27
Spahn	8	6	3	1	4-3	56	47	32	13	3.05	1.07
Totals	35	33	11	3	16-13	253.1	195	165	69	2.56	1.04

#Atlanta Braves 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, and 1999 World Series stats for Tom Glavine and John Smoltz; 1995, 1996, and 1999 stats for Greg Maddux; 1948 Boston Braves, and 1957 and 1958 Milwaukee Braves stats for Warren Spahn. Source: Baseball Almanac.

Dr. Jeffery Hartsog, the author’s former dentist in Jackson, Mississippi, was originally from West Virginia (WV). “I fell in love with the Braves and Lew Burdette in the 1957 World Series when I was 10 years old,” recalled Hartsog via e-mail on January 7, 2023. Burdette was from WV, as I was and he won 3 games which helped the Braves beat the Yankees. Warren Spahn was the Ace but Burdette showed him up and won the Corvette!”

Haddix and Burdette were the first two 20-game winners in the NL, who pitched in the PRWL, per Table V. Bob Turley, 1958 NY Yankees, was the first AL 20-game winner who pitched in the PRWL, per Table VI.

Table V: NL 20-Game Winners with PRWL Experience

Pitcher	Team	Season	W-L	PRWL Teams	PRWL Seasons
Harvey Haddix	SLC	1953	20-9	SJ	1952-53
Lew Burdette	MIL	1958	20-10	Mayagüez	1950-51
	MIL	1959	21-15
Sam Jones	SFG	1959	21-15	SJ, Santurce	1951-52, 54-55
Joey Jay	CIN	1961	21-10	Caguas	1954-55
	CIN	1962	21-14
Jack Sanford	SFG	1962	24-7	Ponce	1953-54
Sandy Koufax	LAD	1963	25-5	Caguas-RP	1956-57
	LAD	1965	26-8
	LAD	1966	27-9
Bob Gibson	SLC	1965	20-12	Santurce	1961-62
	SLC	1966	21-12
	SLC	1968	22-9
	SLC	1969	20-13
	SLC	1970	23-7
Ferguson Jenkins	CUBS	1967	20-13	Caguas	1964-66
	CUBS	1968	20-15
	CUBS	1969	21-15
	CUBS	1970	22-16
	CUBS	1971	24-13
	CUBS	1972	20-12
Phil Niekro	ATL	1969	23-13	Arecibo, Mayagüez	1961-62, 63-64
	ATL	1974	20-13
	ATL	1979	21-20
Claude Osteen#	LAD	1969	20-15	Mayagüez	1960-61
	LAD	1972	20-11
Bill Singer	LAD	1969	20-12	SJ	1965-66
Steve Carlton	SLC	1971	20-9	Ponce	1965-67
	PHIL	1972	27-10
	PHIL	1976	20-7
	PHIL	1977	23-10
	PHIL	1980	24-9
	PHIL	1982	23-11
John Candelaria	PGH	1977	20-5	Bayamón	1974-76
Tommy John	LAD	1977	20-7	Ponce, SJ	1963-64, 65-66
Joe Niekro	HOU	1978	21-11	Mayagüez	1973-74
	HOU	1980	20-12
Dwight Gooden	NYM	1984	24-4	SJ	1995-96
Tom Browning	CIN	1985	20-9	SJ	1994-95
Mike Krukow	SFG	1986	20-9	Caguas	1976-77
David Cone	NYM	1988	20-3	Arecibo, Ponce	1985-87
Denny Neagle	ATL	1997	20-5	SJ	1991-92
Mike Hampton	HOU	1998	22-4	SJ	1993-94
Russ Ortiz	ATL	2003	21-7	Manatí	2006-07

Source: Baseball Almanac.

Table VI: AL 20-Game Winners with PRWL Experience

Pitcher	Team	Season	W-L	PRWL Teams	PRWL Seasons
Jim Bunning	DET	1957	20-8	Caguas MGR	1974-76
Bob Turley	NYY	1958	21-7	SJ	1953-54, 62-63
Gary Peters	CWS	1964	20-8	Ponce, Mayagüez	1962-63
Dennis McLain	DET	1966	20-14	Mayagüez	1964-65
	DET	1968	31-6
	DET	1969	24-9
Jim Lonborg	BOS	1967	22-9	SJ	1970-71
Earl Wilson	DET	1967	22-11	Caguas	1959-60, 61-63
Dave McNally	BAL	1968	22-10	Mayagüez	1963-64
	BAL	1969	20-7
	BAL	1970	24-9
	BAL	1971	21-5
Luis Tiant	CLE	1968	21-9	Caguas, Ponce, Santurce	1961-62, 64-65, 1982-83
	BOS	1973	20-13
	BOS	1974	22-13
	BOS	1976	21-12
Miguel Cuéllar	BAL	1969	23-11	Arecibo, SJ, Santurce, Caguas, Bayamón	1963-67, 1968-72, 73-74, 76-77, 1979-83.
Sam McDowell	CLE	1970	20-12	Santurce	1962-63
Jim Palmer	BAL	1970	20-10	Santurce	1968-69
	BAL	1971	20-9
	BAL	1972	21-10
	BAL	1973	22-9
	BAL	1975	23-11
	BAL	1976	22-13
	BAL	1977	20-11
	BAL	1978	21-12
Clyde Wright	CAL	1970	22-12	Ponce	1969-70
Vida Blue	OAK	1971	24-8	Ponce, Arecibo	1984-85
	OAK	1973	20-9
	OAK	1975	22-11
Pat Dobson	BAL	1971	20-8	Arecibo, SJ, Mayagüez	1965-66, 67-68, 69-70
Jim Colborn	MIL	1973	20-12	SJ	1970-71
Bill Singer	CAL	1973	20-14	SJ	1965-66
Ferguson Jenkins	TEX	1974	25-12	Caguas	1964-66
Wayne Garland	BAL	1976	20-7	Santurce	1979-80
Mike Caldwell	MIL	1977	22-9	Ponce	1973-74
Dennis Leonard	KCR	1977	20-12	Arecibo	1973-74
	KCR	1978	21-17
	KCR	1980	20-11
Eduardo Figueroa	NYY	1978	20-9	Caguas, Arecibo, Santurce	1966-1977, 1980-84
Scott McGregor	BAL	1980	20-8	Caguas	1976-78
Mike Norris	OAK	1980	22-9	Arecibo	1977-78
Lamar Hoyt	CWS	1983	24-10	Ponce	1980-81
Jack Morris	DET	1983	20-13	Mayagüez	1978-79
	DET	1986	21-8
	TOR	1992	21-6
Mike Boddicker	BAL	1984	20-11	Caguas	1980-81
David Cone	NYY	1997	20-7	Arecibo, Ponce	1985-87

#Osteen was pitching coach, 1991-92 SJ Metros. Source: Baseball Almanac.

Part I cited Burdette’s 13-inning 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, on May 26, 1959. Harvey Haddix retired 36 straight Braves before Félix Mantilla broke the spell by reaching 1B on an error. Hank Aaron was intentionally walked after a sacrifice bunt. Joe Adcock was credited with a game-winning double, for the 1-0 Milwaukee win but according to Dr. Jeffery Hartsog, who was listening to it via transistor radio but fell asleep sometime in extra innings: “Haddix pitched a perfect game for 12 innings. After Félix Mantilla got on, Eddie Mathews sacrificed him to second. They then [intentionally] walked Hank Aaron. Joe Adcock, my favorite player who was from Shreveport, LA, hit a home run. Aaron, thinking the game was over, cut across the mound after touching 2nd and Adcock passed in front of him. He was out, which is the reason the game ended 1-0 instead of 3-0. I lived just outside Philadelphia and usually couldn’t pick up the Pirates games, but somehow that night the atmospheric conditions enabled me to pick it up on my portable radio. Found out the score the next day.”

Roberto Clemente wasn’t  in Pittsburgh’s line-up that night. As the story goes, Burdette later phoned Haddix, to congratulate him but Haddix hung up on him.  Burdette’s outstanding control—he did not walk any Pirates in 13 innings on May 26, 1959—showcased his big-league career average of 1.84 walks/nine innings. It places him fifth—from 1920 forward—behind Robin Robers (1.73), Greg Maddux (1.8), Carl Hubbell (1.82), and Juan Marichal (1.82) for hurlers with 3,000+ career IP. https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/bases_on_balls_per_nine_career.shtml

Post-Script

On February 17, 1951, the Santurce Crabbers won Game 7 of their finals versus Caguas Criollos, on Pepe Lucas’s walk-off HR, off Mike Clark. Burdette had completed his third day of spring training with the Yankees in Phoenix, Arizona, the only year the Yankees trained there. The NY Giants facilitated this as a goodwill gesture to Del Webb, a Phoenix native, the Yankees co-owner, and VP. http://www.sportsology.com/the-yankees-and-spring-training/  Burdette faced Lucas (José St. Claire), in the 1950-51 regular season, but recalled Santurce’s two best hitters were Willard Brown and Bob Thurman, when he corresponded with the author.

Santurce hero: 1B José St. Claire (Pepe Lucas). Photo credit: winterballdata.com.

Santurce’s 1950-51 owner was Manatí native Pedrín Zorrilla. Manatí is the“Athens” of Puerto Rico. The last MLB 20-game winner who pitched in the PRWL was Russ Ortiz, 2003 Atlanta Braves and 2006-07 Manatí Athenians. Ortiz’s 31 innings for 2006-07 Manatí, reflected 2-1 W-L, 3.19 ERA, with 23 K’s. He signed a one-year deal with SF on January 9, 2007, for $380,000,  to compete for a fifth-starter slot. Brian Sabean, SF GM, noted: Ortiz’s PRWL pitching showed “both increased velocity and renewed movement in his pitches and was signed on that basis.” He pitched 49 innings for SF; had Tommy John surgery; and, retired in 2010. On January 3, 2023, Sabean—architect of 2010, 2012, and 2014 SF World Series crowns—became Executive Advisor to NY Yankees GM Brian Cashman.

Wayne Blackburn returned to manage Mayagüez (42-28) to the 1965-66 PRWL title, toward the end of Burdette’s career. Luis R. Olmo managed last-place 1965-66 Santurce Crabbers (29-41). In 1972 and 1973, Burdette was the Atlanta Braves pitching coach under skipper Eddie Mathews. Several years later (1975-76 school year), the author met Eddie Mathews Jr., during an evening event at the University of Georgia (UGA), when both were UGA students.

Joey Black, a tourism research colleague of the author, 2000-2022, grew up in Hurricane, West Virginia, about 10 miles west of Nitro. Joey was a teenager in the late 1980s when he met Lew Burdette at Burdette Camping Center in Winfield, 13 miles north of Nitro. In 2001, Burdette was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame, https://www.mlb.com/braves/history/braves-hall-of-famers, and in 2008, into the Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame.

Burdette passed away in Winter Gardens, Florida, of lung cancer, on February 6, 2007. He was 80. Red Smith of the New York Times summarized Burdette’s three pitching stats: wins, losses, and relative humidity.

Grateful acknowledgment to Lew Burdette for written responses to the author’s questions, in 1992. Thanks to Joey Black, Wayne Blackburn, Harvey Haddix, Dr. Jeffery Hartsog, 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.