All-Time Indians: Ellis Burks

Since it began in 1969, the Indians have never been big players in the free agent market, especially during seasons with low expectations, but in 2000 after losing the Central Division for the first time in the history of the Central Division, the Indians went out and picked up the 36 year old, 14 year veteran Ellis Burks to a three year, $19.5M deal.

Similar to the signing of Eddie Murray prior to the 1994 season (and Nick Swisher later on in 2013) this was a move meant not just to add some power to the line-up, but to add a veteran presence to an otherwise extremely young club house. While in 2000 many of the veterans from the 1990’s were still around, Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez had already left through free agency and the writing was on the wall for the rest of that generation. By playing through his three years, Burks helped maintain a steady presence over what would be a tumultuous period for Cleveland.

No Hall of Famer (0.4% of votes in 2010), Burks was a solid line-up presence from the start, hitting 20 home runs and 30 doubles for the Red Sox in his rookie year in 1987 after being taken in the first round four years earlier. He only improved in his second season, batting .297/.367/.481 and he would continue with that kind of play through the rest of his career, hitting above .290 in nine seasons including one in Cleveland at the age of 37. He was powerful as well, never slugging below .410 for a season between 1987 through 2003 with an average slugging percent of .511 throughout. A well rounded player, especially early on, Burks stole 73 bases in 93 attempts in his first three seasons and won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in the outfield in his first All-Star season, 1990.

Burks jumped to the White Sox during his first chance at free agency, then went to Colorado with a five year deal when that ran out. There, he had his greatest season ever in 1996 when he went to his second All-Star game and won his second Silver Slugger thanks to his league leading .639 slugging percent and 142 runs scored. After staying generally stationary on the bases the previous six seasons, he stole 32 bases in 38 tries at the high altitude as the seemingly never aging Burks found his speed at 31.

Burks was traded to San Francisco in a deadline deal in 1998, the final year of his contract, but he would stay on with the Giants after signing a two year, $10M deal. He continued to be a valuable player, despite his negative defensive contribution and was worth 2.8 WAR in 1999 and 5.0 in 2000.

His poor defense wouldn’t matter in the American League and for 2001, the Indians had signed Juan Gonzalez to play right field on a one year deal after he had a down year in Detroit. With MVP caliber seasons from Gonzalez, Roberto Alomar and Jim Thome, Burks and the remnants of the 1990’s Indians made one last gasp chance at a championship. For his own effort, Burks hit .280/.369/.542 with 28 home runs and 29 doubles. While the offense wasn’t quite that of the 1999 or 2000 teams, they still scored 897 runs, more than the Indians had scored in any season from 1937 through 1995.

While the team would win the Central Division, they would go down in five games to the Mariners in the ALDS. Burks played in all five and was a contributor, batting .316 with a home run, but it wasn’t enough as the Indians would lose the final two games by a combined score of 9-3. Just like his five previous forays into the post-season, Burks didn’t make it past the first round.

While Burks would stay for 2002, Alomar, Gonzalez and Kenny Lofton wouldn’t and the Indians went with a completely new outfield of Matt Lawton, Milton Bradley and Chris Magruder. Without their primary producers, the Indians scored nearly 260 fewer runs than the previous season and only Thome and Burks were stand outs. Burks batted above .300 for the fifth and final time in his career, hitting 32 home runs for the first time since 1997 in Colorado. If this was to be the end, it was an extremely impressive end for his lengthy career.

Prior to 2003, the Indians lost Thome and traded starting catcher Einar Diaz to Texas for a new DH in Travis Hafner. Ben Broussard has been obtained during the 2002 season from the Reds for Russell Branyan and with the pair, Burks was out of a position. He took over more of a player-coach role as, other than Omar Vizquel, there wasn’t a veteran to be had among the offensive players. This group, however, would turn into the next generation of Indians that would ultimately challenge for the AL Pennant in 2007.

Burks would hit a career low .263 this year, but still carried a .360 OBP and was worth 0.6 WAR, a solid contribution from a part time player. At the end of the season, his contract was allowed to run out and he signed another one year deal to finish his career in Boston, where it all started more than 20 years before. He would play just 11 games that season, but was able to retire as a Red Sox and get to exactly 2,000 games played in his career. While he fell short of most major milestones, he still hit 352 home runs, had over 2,000 hits, 400 doubles and 1,200 RBI while batting .291.

Most players either start quickly and fade out just as fast or take longer to get to the majors, but last longer once they do, but Burks was drafted out of high school, rushed to the Majors and still played until he was 39. He began his career as a speedy outfielder, but evolved over time to get on base more and hit for more power, ultimately becoming the pure DH that the Indians knew him for being. Following his retirement after 2004, Burks joined the Indians front office and he is now a special assistant in Colorado where he had the best years of his career.