Wally Burnette

From BR Bullpen

Wallace Harper Burnette

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 0", Weight 178 lb.

Debut July 15, 1956
Final Game June 28, 1958
Born June 20, 1929 in Blairs, VA USA
Died February 12, 2003 in Danville, VA USA

[edit] Biographical Information

A right hand pitcher originally in the Yankee organization, Wally Burnette arrived with the Kansas City A's via one of the many trades between the two teams during the era. After two years in the Army he won 21 games with the Binghamton Triplets of the Eastern League in 1953.

He finished with a 6-8 record with a good ERA of 2.89 as a rookie in 1956, but hurt his arm in spring training the following year, and was gone after 1958 with an overall record of 14-21 and a .356 ERA for the A's. On July 19, 1956, he gave up the 401st homer of Ted Williams Career and a year later on July 31, 1957, served up Mickey Mantle's 201st.

Wally, who had shut out the Washington Senators 8-0 at Griffith Stadiumon July 15, 1956, in his big league debut, also recalled the home run he gave up to Williams. "I was leading 7-3 and kept throwing him knuckleballs and he kept fouling them off. He told Tim Thompson my catcher, that I wouldn't throw him another one, but I did and the next thing I saw was the ball banging around in the center field seats."

Wally owned Burnette's Grocery and he died on February 12, 2003, at age 73 in Danville, VA.