Dick Burns
Encyclopedia
Richard Simon "Dick" Burns (December 26, 1863 – November 16, 1937) was an American
Major League Baseball
pitcher
and outfielder
, born in Holyoke, Massachusetts
. He played a total of three seasons in the majors from to , getting most of his playing time in the short-lived Union Association
in .
of the National League
, and finished the season with a 2-12 win/loss record. After the season, he joined the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds
of the newly formed and short-lived Union Association
. It was with the Outlaw Reds that he compiled very good stats; a 23-15 win/loss record, a 2.46 ERA
, pitched a no-hitter
on August 26, 1884 Kansas City Cowboys
, the first of only two no-hitters pitched in that league.
after the 1884 season, and Burns signed and played with the St. Louis Maroons
of the National League
, playing 14 games in the outfield, and pitching just once, in a relief appearance. This was his final big league season, after which he went on to play for the Milwaukee Brewers in the minors, continuing his two-way playing. Burns' sudden rise in effectiveness and subsequent disappearance back into obscurity is attributable to the difference in the talent levels of the Union Association and National League. The competition in the UA is roughly equivalent to that of the Double-A level of the current Minor league.
at the age of 73, and was interred at the Calvary Cemetery in Holyoke.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
and 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...
, born in Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...
. He played a total of three seasons in the majors from to , getting most of his playing time in the short-lived Union Association
Union Association
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
in .
Career
Dick began his Major League career with the Detroit WolverinesDetroit Wolverines
The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th century baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant in 1887. The team was disbanded following the 1888 season.-Franchise...
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, and finished the season with a 2-12 win/loss record. After the season, he joined the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds
Cincinnati Outlaw Reds
The Cincinnati Outlaw Reds of 1884, also called the Cincinnati Unions, were a member of the short-lived Union Association. One of the league's best teams, they finished third with a record of 69-36. The team was owned by former Cincinnati Red Stockings owner Justus Thorner and John McLean, and...
of the newly formed and short-lived Union Association
Union Association
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
. It was with the Outlaw Reds that he compiled very good stats; a 23-15 win/loss record, a 2.46 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, pitched a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
on August 26, 1884 Kansas City Cowboys
Kansas City Cowboys (Union Association)
The Kansas City Cowboys were a team in the Union Association during its only season, . Referred to as the "Cowboys" mostly by historians, they had no official nickname during their short life and were most frequently referred to by local press of the day as the "Unions" and by the press of other...
, the first of only two no-hitters pitched in that league.
Post-Majors career
The Union Association merged with the National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
after the 1884 season, and Burns signed and played with the St. Louis Maroons
St. Louis Maroons/Indianapolis Hoosiers
300px|thumb|right|1888 Indianapolis HoosiersThe St. Louis Maroons were a professional baseball club based in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1884-1886. The club, established by Henry Lucas, were the one near-major league quality entry in the Union Association, a league that lasted only one season, due...
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, playing 14 games in the outfield, and pitching just once, in a relief appearance. This was his final big league season, after which he went on to play for the Milwaukee Brewers in the minors, continuing his two-way playing. Burns' sudden rise in effectiveness and subsequent disappearance back into obscurity is attributable to the difference in the talent levels of the Union Association and National League. The competition in the UA is roughly equivalent to that of the Double-A level of the current Minor league.
Later life
Burns died in Holyoke, MassachusettsHolyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...
at the age of 73, and was interred at the Calvary Cemetery in Holyoke.