Bill Burns (baseball)
| Bill Burns | |
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| Pitcher | |
| Born: January 27, 1880 San Saba, Texas |
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| Died: June 6, 1953 (aged 73) Ramona, California |
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| Batted: Both | Threw: Left |
| MLB debut | |
| April 18, 1908 for the Washington Senators | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 23, 1912 for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Career statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 30–52 |
| Earned run average | 2.72 |
| Strikeouts | 233 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
William Thomas "Bill" Burns (January 27, 1880 – June 6, 1953), nicknamed "Sleepy Bill," was an American baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball for five different teams from 1908 to 1912. Burns earned his nickname for his noticeable lack of intensity on the mound.[1]
Bill Burns is best known for his involvement in the alleged fixing of the 1919 Chicago White Sox World Series, dubbed the Black Sox Scandal.
In his five-year career, Burns played for the Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Detroit Tigers.[2] In his rookie season, 1908, Burns had a 1.69 ERA (sixth best in the American League). However, he had a career record of 30-52 as a pitcher and never won more than eight games in a season.
[edit] Involvement in the Black Sox Scandal
Prior to the start of the 1919 World Series, a group of players from the Chicago White Sox agreed to intentionally lose the world series in exchange for money from gamblers. Burns met with Eddie Cicotte and Chick Gandil at The Ansonia, a hotel in New York City during the formative stages of the event.[3]
It is likely that Burns operated on behalf of Arnold Rothstein, a New York businessman and gambler. Burns relayed messages back and forth between the players who had agreed to fix the games and a person whose initials were "A.R.".[4]
After news of the scandal broke, a trial took place in Chicago, Illinois. During this trial, Burns served as a witness for the prosecution. Assistant State Attorney Edward Prindeville examined Burns during the trial.
"I told them I had the hundred thousand dollars to handle the throwing of the World Series. I also told them that I had the names of the men who were going to finance it. I told them they were waiting below." - Testimony of Sleepy Bill Burns
[edit] References
- ^ "Bill Burns". baseball-reference.com. http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Bill_Burns. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
- ^ "Bill Burns". baseball-reference.com. http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/burnsbi01.shtml. Retrieved 2007-06-20.
- ^ "The Major Players". blackbetsy.com. http://www.blackbetsy.com/jjmajor.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
- ^ "Key Figures in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal". davidpietrusza.com. http://www.davidpietrusza.com/Rothstein-BlackSox.html. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- law.umkc.edu Excerpts of Bill Burns' Trial Testimony
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- 1880 births
- 1953 deaths
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Baseball players from Texas
- Washington Senators (1901–1960) players
- Chicago White Sox players
- Cincinnati Reds players
- Philadelphia Phillies players
- Detroit Tigers players
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- American baseball pitcher, 1880s births stubs
