12/21/24
February 05, 2004
Burks returns to where it all started... 21 years ago.: The Red Sox signed Ellis Burks to a one-year, $750,000 (plus additional incentives) deal today and will be their right handed DH and pinch hitter. Burks, a first round draft pick in 1983 by the Red Sox, was with the team until 1992 where he left as a free agent with rumors of suspected back problems. In 2002, his last full season, Burks hit .302 with 32 HRs. Last year, his season ended early for elbow surgery, but the physical conducted by the team was satisfactory. Burks turned down a higher contract offer, 1.25m from Seattle, to end his career where it began in Boston, hopefully with a championship under his belt.
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 12:28 PM - 8 comments
Pro Sport needs more of this sentimentality from both the players and teams.
posted by garfield at 01:31 PM on February 05, 2004
Boo. Maybe if Bavasi had improved the Mariners, Burks would have gone the other way. I'm happy for Burks, whom I've always appreciated as a player, and bummed for my team.
posted by jeffmshaw at 02:01 PM on February 05, 2004
Who's next? Mike Greenwell? Boston has made some great moves in the off-season, this isn't one of them.
posted by vito90 at 03:23 PM on February 05, 2004
Reasons?
posted by jerseygirl at 03:45 PM on February 05, 2004
Boston has made some great moves in the off-season, this isn't one of them. I don't see that. Low-money for a very good right-handed DH isn't a bad move. He's not going to carry the team for a season, but he'll improve production. Especially against lefties, whom the Sox have had trouble with the past few decades or so.
posted by yerfatma at 04:15 PM on February 05, 2004
Even if Burks tears his ACL while shoveling snow and shooting baskets at the same time, this is a good move. At $750,000? Are you kidding me? That's what you pay a third catcher. Plus, Burks and would have immediately have become the best hitter on the Mariners' bench. Old? Injury prone? Yup. But he's younger than Edgar Martinez and has almost as many at-bats over the last three years. Low-risk, high-reward signing.
posted by jeffmshaw at 04:20 PM on February 05, 2004
I really like this signing. And even though the Sox have a bottomless checking account, they still realize the importance of role players. Although the Boston sportswriters are going to kill me when they repeat the following themes: 1) Veteran turns down bigger offer to return to where it all started. 2) Veteran Leadership is priceless. 3) Race will come into play somehow on his first go 'round with the Sox. 4) How much it hurt when he was released back in the early 90's. But I wish him well. Although I have to imagine it will be hard to get decent playing time with Millar and Ortiz battling for 1B and DH duties. This is the first time in a long time that I felt baseball had no offseason. Pitchers and catchers report in a couple of weeks!
posted by usfbull at 11:34 PM on February 06, 2004
He's had a decent career ... good for him.