Britt Burns tried injury comeback, saw 8 majors seasons
Britt Burns played in the majors over eight seasons, all with the White Sox, until hip problems forced him into retirement, The Trenton Times wrote.
But, four years later, Burns had seemingly gotten past his hip issues and mounted comeback at Yankee spring training, The Times wrote.
"What I need to show the Yankees is that I'm physically sound, and that I can pitch," Burns told The Times. "I used to be a fastball pitcher, but now I know I have to change speeds and get the ball over the plate consistently."
Burns eventually made it out of spring training and into slots in the minors. But his comeback proved short-lived, just five appearances.
Burns' career began in 1978, taken by the White Sox in the third round of the draft out of Huffman High School in Alabama.
Burns started with the White Sox at single-A Appleton, then moved to AA Knoxville. By August, he'd made the jump to Chicago.
Burns saw two starts with the White Sox that year and six more outings there in 1979. In 1980, he became a regular, starting 32 games and going 15-13, with a 2.84 ERA.
For 1981, he saw another 23 starts and made the All-Star team. He went 10-6 on the year, with a 2.64 ERA.
In September 1983, Burns threw a one-hitter against the Angeles, only giving up a single in the seventh, UPI wrote.
"It felt good coming out of my hand and it was over the plate," Burns told UPI of the single. "You can't be anything but disappointed. It would have been a big thrill, but you have to be lucky."
Burns continued pitching with the White Sox through 1985, when he went 18-11, with a 3.96 ERA in 34 starts.
He then got traded to the Yankees, but he never played a game in the Bronx as his hip issues forced him out.
On his comeback bid in 1990, he saw four outings, three starts at high-A Fort Lauderdale and one start at AAA Columbus to end his career.
Burns soon went into coaching, first serving as pitching coach with the Marlins in the Gulf Coast League. He later served as minor league pitching coordinator with the Marlins and Astros. In 2013, he served as pitching coach with AA Birmingham in his home state.
"Being able to come back to Birmingham, to be back with the White Sox, to open a new stadium, to be a part of all of this is just fabulous," Burns told AL.com in April 2013. "I'm very excited. I'm looking forward to getting started."
Burns is last recorded as pitching coach in Birmingham in 2015.
- UPI, Sept. 10, 1983: Britt Burns
- Trenton Times, March 26, 1990: Pitchers Burns, Smith trying to impress Yanks
- AL.com, April 3, 2013: Former Huffman standout Britt Burns comes home to coach pitchers for Birmingham Barons
Made the Majors:1,461-31.8%-X
Never Made Majors:3,138-68.2%