Jesse Burkett
In a career linked with Cy Young, Jesse Burkett played for the Cleveland Spiders in the 1890s, where he set records for hits and batting. He twice topped the .400 mark, and scored 100 runs or more nine times. He earned his nickname "Crab", not because of his playing style, but due to his surly disposition.
Played For
New York Giants (1890)
Cleveland Spiders (1891-1898)
St. Louis Cardinals (1899-1901)
St. Louis Browns (1902-1904)
Boston Red Sox (1905)
All-Time Rankings
Jesse Burkett ranks #20 among the Top 50 all-time at LF. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1896
One of the finest seasons by any player prior to 1900, Burkett laced 240 hits, including 27 doubles, 16 triples, and six homers. He scored 160 runs in 133 games, batting .410 with a .461 OBP.
Factoids
Jesse Burkett, Ty Cobb, and Rogers Hornsby are the only players to hit .400 in a season three times.
Where He Played
Left field. Burkett pitched in 23 games and had a dismal 3-11 record with a 5.56 ERA. He was wild, to put it mildly. He walked more than 90 batters in 123 innings.
Born
Jesse Cail Burkett was born on December 4, 1868, in Wheeling, WV.
Died
May 27, 1953, Worcester, MA
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
Primary Position: OF
Primary Team: CL4
Major League Debut
April 22, 1890
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1890
Coming soon...
Nicknames
Crab
Depending on the source, Burkett either earned the name "Crab" for his surly disposition or the peculiar manner of his stride. The truth is that he got it for the first reason.
Similar Players
Fred Clarke, George VanHaltren
Related Players
George Stone
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1936 |
Veterans |
1 |
% |
1937 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.5% |
1938 |
BBWAA |
2 |
.8% |
1942 |
BBWAA |
4 |
1.7% |
1945 |
BBWAA |
2 |
.8% |
1946 |
Nominating Vote |
2 |
1.0% |
1946 |
Old Timers |
|
% |
|
Notes
Burkett was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Committee on Baseball Veterans in 1946. He was 77 years old at the time.
Transactions
Before 1902 Season: Jumped from the St. Louis Cardinals to the St. Louis Browns; January 16, 1905: Traded by the St. Louis Browns with Frank Huelsman to the Boston Pilgrims for George Stone.
Matchup Data
On April 26, 1902, Burkett collected the only hit off Addie Joss in the future Hall of Fame pitcher's major league debut. Joss led Cleveland to a 3-0 victory over Burkett's St. Louis Browns.
Replaced
Jack Hoey, a rookie left fielder for the 1906 Bostom Americans.
Best Strength as a Player
Bat control. For every story about Luke Appling's being able to foul off pitches, there are probably two stories about Burkett's ability to do the same.
Largest Weakness as a Player
His throwing arm.
Learn More about Jesse Burkett
Search Amazon.com for Books about Jesse Burkett ⇒
Search for Jesse Burkett at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
