By TJ Troup
There have been many men who lacked the ability to run, yet could swing the bat, and hit, and hit well. This is the saga of one of those men.
Smoky Burgess began his major league career with the Cubs and after a couple seasons was traded to Philadelphia.
His season of 1954 ranks as one of the best ever for a catcher swinging the bat. By the end of April he was hitting .364, and on May 31st he hit a pinch-hit home run over the Dodgers to up his average to .366. Sixty-eight years ago today was one of the signature days of his career. He singled home Hamner in the second, doubled home Hamner in the fourth, got a single to advance Hamner in the fifth, and was walked in the seventh.
The Phillies beat the Cubs that day 4-0, and Smoky was now hitting .392. When was the last time you remember a catcher hitting .392 in early June?
Burgess earned his first All-Star berth that year, and finished the year hitting .368! He did not qualify for the batting title since he did not have the required number of plate appearances. Though he was playing well for the Phillies in early '55 he was traded to Cincinnati, and he again had an outstanding season and earned another all-star berth.
There have been many baseball trades that were a key aspect for a team turning the proverbial "corner" and truly becoming a contender. Pittsburgh had some awful seasons in the early to mid '50's yet when Burgess was traded to the Pirates before the '59 season (3rd baseman Don Hoak was also a key figure in the trade)...Pittsburgh played strong baseball, though they finished 4th.
On Sunday August 30th the Pirates swept a doubleheader from Philadelphia and were only four games out. The Friday and Saturday games that preceded the sweep Burgess was 7 of 10 with 3 home runs, and 5 rbi's in the two victories. Smoky hit .297 in '59, and when Sports Illustrated issued their sixth annual baseball edition on April 11th the writers---especially Roy Terrell stated the following. "They (meaning of course the Pirates) are probably too good to be passed by the Reds, Cubs, Cardinals, or Phils. But though they may improve enough to pass one of the three leaders, should the Dodgers or Braves or Giants slip, it is hard to see them passing all three". Ooops Roy, they did pass all three, and beat a strong Yankee team in a classic World Series. Smoky continued to hit consistently and finished with a .294 average.
Terrell also stated "Burgess as always was hitting". Was able to see Smoky play against the Cubs when the Pirates visited Wrigley since all Cub home games were televised. Though he was not as strong a defensive catcher as he was early in his career, he sure was damn impressive with his long-barreled bat in his hands. Listed at 5'8"" he stood erect in the batter's box, and kept his hands up which made his bat look even longer.
When the opportunity arose and got a chance to go to Wrigley those were days that I cherished; and on Sunday June 23rd the family was in the "friendly confines" and was able to meet my hero Ernie Banks face to face that day before the game. Since the Cubs were playing the Pirates got to see Smoky get a hit that day in person. The National League had many outstanding all-star teams in the '50s & '60s and one of those was the '64 group that won at Shea Stadium.
Though Smoky did not play that day, he did earn his final all-star berth. Every team looks to add young talent to the line-up, and as such Burgess was traded to the White Sox. The Pale Hose were in a three team pennant race with the powerful Yankees, and the improved Orioles.
On September 15th in Detroit Joel Horlen has pitched a masterpiece but trails 2-1 in the top of the 8th, and in his first American League at-bat pinch-hitting for Horlen...Mr. Burgess ties the game as he belts a long home run.
Yes folks, the White Sox went on to win in extra innings. Burgess was called upon to pinch-hit many times in 1965 & 1966 and if you go to Baseball-Reference you will come to realize he was one of the best pinch hitters in baseball history for his exploits in those two seasons. Burgess final year was 1967.
