Sad day in RED SOX Nation

Fishhead · Apr 26, 2004

BOSTON -- Red Sox designated hitter Ellis Burks was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday and will have surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee.

Burks has played nine games this season, hitting .133 with one home run and one RBI. He'll undergo surgery Tuesday and it's not certain how long he will be sidelined.

The 18-year veteran signed a one-year, $750,000 contract in February.

Burks played six seasons in Boston after the team chose him with their first pick in the 1983 draft. He was an All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder in 1990, and left as a free agent after the 1992 season.

Burks then played with the Chicago White Sox, Colorado, San Francisco and Cleveland

Fishhead · Apr 26, 2004

I hope he can make it back.

Ellis is trully one of the GOOD GUYS in the game.......and a longtime favorite of Red Sox fans.

Fishhead · Apr 26, 2004

Think about it, BURKS was a member of the Red Sox organization during the YAZ era!!!

Drafted by the organization the year of YAZ'S retirement year.

RobFunk · Apr 26, 2004

I like burks as well. he held out with that injury and played as long as he could with it.

despite having his best days behind him, a sub million dollar salary and limited playing time all he wanted to do was help the club.

come back soon, mr.burks

jaypaw · Apr 26, 2004

I was just going through some baseball cards and saw some of his in my sox collection

was thinking cant believe he is still playing...

wilheim · Apr 26, 2004

Journeyman · Apr 26, 2004

Solid player for many years, atleast he came back and hit one more for Boston..

How many guys are actually still playing thats started before Ellis???

Clemens comes to mind, can`t be many...

Guest · Apr 26, 2004

is'nt ellis about 52 years old?

RobFunk · Apr 26, 2004

cripe looking at that pic cant believe how much smaller players were and it really was'nt even that long ago

wilheim · Apr 26, 2004

Rob - very true, look at Fred Lynn one of the best hitters of the late 70's through the mid 80's.

Looks like he is malnourished.

wil.

Journeyman · Apr 26, 2004

its funny you mention that, I was watching the 1978 game 163 vs New York a couple days ago and couldn`t believe the size of Fred Lynn , he looked so small , I don`t know how he ever hit the ball out of the park...I was lookin at Lynn thinking he looked like he weighed 150!
His listed weight was like 185, same as Aaron BTW!

sherman · Apr 26, 2004

Ellis Burks is my favorite player and has been since he first played in New Britain, CT

Thanks for the memories with the pic Wil, I have that copy also.

I just hope Ellis sticks around to play this season out, because with him, we win the World Series. WIthout him, we don't.

wilheim · Apr 26, 2004

Lynn is the only guy to hit a grand slam in an All Star game. (83 game in Cominsky park).MVP of the game with one at bat, a pinch hit.

wil.

Journeyman · Apr 26, 2004

Whitey Herzog filled the NL roster with alot of first time allstars as I remember it...It was the first time the American League had one in many years....

More on Lynn....he and Jim Rice in the same year....that had to be something for Boston, I mean they already had alot of hitters, and adding Lynn and Rice...I believe they hit 25 and 27 homers respectively, which was a good amount for a couple rooks back then...

Wil- any chance you have that SI cover with the two of them on it?

Journeyman · Apr 26, 2004

Lynn was a spectacular centerfielder too.

He was the heir apparant to the Red Sox throne, maybe it was his wreckless style in center that tore him up, but when you look at his 'malnourished body' as wilheim pointed out, its no wonder the guy fell apart!

wilheim · Apr 26, 2004

JM - they were never on SI cover together, maybe it was Sporting news.

wil.

wilheim · Apr 26, 2004

BTW - I don't really think Fred fell apart, he had a 17 year career with nearly 2000 hits (1960), 306 homers, .283 ave. and 1,111 RBI. Not bad really. While he was injured a lot, he still was able to stick around a long time.

wil.

Journeyman · Apr 26, 2004

I remember a big spread of the two with all their rookie accomplishments...

I am not saying Fred Lynn wasn`t a fine player, but he didn`t quite live up to what looked like the next immortal Red Sox player..

Williams, Yaz , Lynn...he missed alot of time,still a very fine career no doubt...

...he even had a stint with Baltimore, I remember him hitting 3 homers in one game vs Detroit, not much else ...Hard to believe really...I was thrilled when we got him, I still remember where I was when I found out he signed with Baltimore...those were lean years as the Orioles were buying old overpriced free agents....Lee Lacy, Dan Ford , Juan Beniquez and Lynn...

jimbutorac · Apr 26, 2004

You guys probably remember betgter than I, bit what a farm system Sox had beck then...Fisk, Lynn, Rice, Evans, Burleson, Cecil Cooper, Ben Ogilvie, George Scott, man, they cranked 'em out. Unfortunately, they traded some of 'em like Cooper and Ogilvie for dimes on the dollar.

And that was even before Bagwell for Larry Andersen, maybe one of the top 10 worst trades in major league history.

Oh well, this is the year we put it all to rest.