Tom Burgess (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Roland Burgess was a Canadian
baseball
player, coach
and manager
. An outfielder
and first baseman
, Burgess had two trials in Major League Baseball
— a 17-game stint with the St. Louis Cardinals
and a full season with the Los Angeles Angels
. He then forged a long career as a minor league manager and served as a major league coach with the New York Mets
and Atlanta Braves
. In his playing days, he threw and batted left-handed
and stood 6' (183 cm) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg).
A native of London, Ontario
, Burgess attended the University of Western Ontario
. He first signed with the Cardinals in , making his debut with the Hamilton Red Wings of the Class D PONY League. Despite compiling a robust .350 batting average
in in the Class C Interstate League
, by Burgess was voluntarily retired and spent three seasons with the London Majors
of the Canadian Intercounty Baseball League
. He resumed his pro playing career in in the Class A South Atlantic League
and batted .328, then continued his hot hitting in , batting .346 with 22 home run
s and 93 runs batted in with the Cards' top farm team, the Rochester Red Wings
of the AAA International League
. That earned him a promotion to St. Louis for the start of the 1954 campaign, but Burgess collected only one hit
— a double
— in 21 at bat
s, an .048 batting average, before being sent back to Rochester.
Burgess spent the next seven seasons in the International League, with Rochester and the Columbus Jets
, and then was acquired by the expansion Angels in their maiden season, . He spent that year with the AAA Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers
of the American Association
, then made the 25-man roster of the 1962 Angels. He appeared in 87 games and batted 143 times over the course of a full season, but could muster only a .196 batting average. By 1963, he was back in the minors. All told, Burgess batted .177 with two home runs and 14 RBI in 104 major league games.
He returned to the game as a manager in the farm systems of the Cardinals, Braves, Mets, Texas Rangers
and Detroit Tigers
in the 1970s and 1980s. He managed in AAA with the Tidewater Tides, Richmond Braves
, Oklahoma City 89ers
and Charleston Charlies
, and among his achievements won championships in the Appalachian League
, Texas League
and the California League
. During his 1977 campaign with the Mets, he was the third-base coach on the staff of Joe Frazier
and Joe Torre
and, the following year, served under Bobby Cox
in Atlanta. He was named to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
, the London (Ontario) Sports Hall of Fame, and the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame.
Burgess died from complications due to cancer on November 24, 2008, in Lambeth, Ontario
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player, coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
. An outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, Burgess had two trials in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
— a 17-game stint with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and a full season with the Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
. He then forged a long career as a minor league manager and served as a major league coach with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. In his playing days, he threw and batted left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
and stood 6' (183 cm) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg).
A native of London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, Burgess attended the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
. He first signed with the Cardinals in , making his debut with the Hamilton Red Wings of the Class D PONY League. Despite compiling a robust .350 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
in in the Class C Interstate League
Interstate League
The Interstate League was the name of five different American minor baseball leagues that played intermittently from 1896 through 1952. The longest tenured of these was the last incarnation, which played in the Middle Atlantic States from 1939 through 1952, and was one of the few mid-level minor...
, by Burgess was voluntarily retired and spent three seasons with the London Majors
London Majors
The London Majors are an independent, minor league baseball team of the, semi-pro, Intercounty Baseball League. The team was founded in 1925, and is based in London, Ontario...
of the Canadian Intercounty Baseball League
Intercounty Baseball League
The Intercounty Baseball League is a semi-professional baseball organization located in the Canadian province of Ontario. The league was formed in 1919....
. He resumed his pro playing career in in the Class A South Atlantic League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
and batted .328, then continued his hot hitting in , batting .346 with 22 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 93 runs batted in with the Cards' top farm team, the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
of the AAA International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. That earned him a promotion to St. Louis for the start of the 1954 campaign, but Burgess collected only one hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
— a double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
— in 21 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s, an .048 batting average, before being sent back to Rochester.
Burgess spent the next seven seasons in the International League, with Rochester and the Columbus Jets
Columbus Jets
The Columbus Jets were a Minor League baseball team that played in Columbus, Ohio from 1955 to 1970. The team moved from Ottawa, Canada where they were known as the Ottawa Athletics. The Jets were a member of the International League. From 1955-56 they were the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City...
, and then was acquired by the expansion Angels in their maiden season, . He spent that year with the AAA Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers
Dallas Rangers
The Dallas Rangers were a high-level minor league baseball team located in Dallas, Texas, from 1958-64. The team was known by the Dallas Rangers name in 1958-59 and 1964 and as the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers from 1960-63...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
, then made the 25-man roster of the 1962 Angels. He appeared in 87 games and batted 143 times over the course of a full season, but could muster only a .196 batting average. By 1963, he was back in the minors. All told, Burgess batted .177 with two home runs and 14 RBI in 104 major league games.
He returned to the game as a manager in the farm systems of the Cardinals, Braves, Mets, Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in the 1970s and 1980s. He managed in AAA with the Tidewater Tides, Richmond Braves
Richmond Braves
The Richmond Braves were the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and played in the International League. Colloquially referred to as the R-Braves, they were based in Richmond, Virginia, where they played from 1966, when the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta where their AAA team, the Crackers,...
, Oklahoma City 89ers
Oklahoma RedHawks
The Oklahoma City RedHawks are a minor league baseball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros...
and Charleston Charlies
Charleston Charlies
The Charleston Charlies was the name of the third and most recent Class AAA minor league baseball franchise that was located in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. The Charlies played in the International League from 1971 to 1976 as the relocated Columbus Jets franchise. In 1977 the franchise...
, and among his achievements won championships in the Appalachian League
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
, Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
and the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
. During his 1977 campaign with the Mets, he was the third-base coach on the staff of Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier (baseball)
Joseph Filmore Frazier was a former outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He was signed as an amateur free agent in 1941, but did not play in the major leagues until 1947. After 1947, he spent parts of three seasons in the 1950s, primarily with the St. Louis Cardinals...
and Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
and, the following year, served under Bobby Cox
Bobby Cox
Robert Joseph "Bobby" Cox is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. He first led the Atlanta Braves from 1978 to 1981, and then managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982 to 1985. He later rejoined the Braves in 1985 as a general manager...
in Atlanta. He was named to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museums commemorates great players, teams, and accomplishments of baseball in Canada.-History:...
, the London (Ontario) Sports Hall of Fame, and the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame.
Burgess died from complications due to cancer on November 24, 2008, in Lambeth, Ontario
Lambeth, Ontario
Lambeth, Ontario may refer to:*Lambeth, Middlesex County, Ontario*Lambeth, Oxford County, Ontario...
.
External links
- http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Sports/OtherSports/2008/11/25/7524391-sun.htmlObituary, from the London Free PressLondon Free PressThe London Free Press is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, Canada.The London Free Press began as the Canadian Free Press, founded by William Sutherland in 1847. It first began printing as a weekly newspaper in 1849. In 1852, it was purchased for $500 by Josiah Blackburn, who renamed it...
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