Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 153, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1914 — RECORD FOR BURKETT [ARTICLE]

RECORD FOR BURKETT

MANAGER OF WORCESTER TEAM LONG IN HARNESS.

, A As Member of Cleveland Club He Led National League Batters in 1895 and 1896, and Topped the List With St Louis in 1901.

With the opening of the season in the New England league recently, Manager Jesse Burkett started on his twenty-eighth consecutive year as a baseball player. As pilot of the Worcester team Burkett dons the spangles regularly, and, ‘ though he doesn’t participate in every game, he plays often enough to get his name in the records for the season.

Since Jim O’Rourke made his final retirement from the diamond to become president of the Eastern league the record for continuous service on the ball field doubtless belongs to Burkett Jesse Burkett was born in Wheeling, W. Va., December 4, 1870. At the age of sixteen he began playing professional ball at Scranton, Pa. Two years later he went to Worcester. Later he was traded to t’-v New York Giants, who farmed him out to the Lincoln club of the Western league. In 1891 he was sold to Cleveland. He remained in the Ohio city until the amalgamation with St. Lows in and played with the St Louis Cardinals through 1901. The next season found him a member qf (he newly formed American league clib in the Mound City. In ,1905 he j lined the Boston American league clut. A year later he bought an interest in the Worcester club, and has acted as manager of the team ever since, During his long career is a big leaguer Burkett established a reputation as one of the heaviest batters who ever faced a pitcher. As a member of the old Cleveland club he led the National league batters in 1895 and 1896, and again topped the list while playing with St. Louis in 1901. The same success that attended Burkett’s career as a major league player has marked his work as a minor league pilot. Since he took over the Worcester team eight years ago his team has never finished lower than third position in the New England league race. For four successive seasons his team captured the pennant. Major league scouts have great faith In Burkett’s ability to develop j talent, and they seldom fail to be on hand early in the season to give the Worcester team the “ones over.” Some of the classy players he has develop id the last few years have brought fancj prices when sold to clubs in faster company. Burkett received his higher education in baseball in the rather difficult school afforded by the old National league in the ’9os. The game was not run so smoothly in those days as now. The umpires exercised less control and a player was obliged to make good through his ability to fight his way to the finish. As a member of Pat Tqbeau’s old Cleveland team, reputed the scrappiest outfit of those fighting days, Burkett learned many tricks of the diamond.