The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-12
BURKETT
One OF the Best In
the Business.
THEY ALL FEAR HIM
He Is One Of the Leagues
Heaviest Hitters.

player, made two or three years ago
in the writer's presence by one Of the
greatest base ball authorities of to-
day.
That statement was true the day it
was made; it is equally true today.
Anybody that has ever. seen Jesse Bur
kett play in two or three league games
realizes that there are none better. He
stands at the top of very small and
select coterie Of ball players, including
such men as Billy Hamilton and VIII
lie Keeler. They are far above the
average. They are the men who would
be wanted by anyN manager at any
time.
Burkett has reached the top Of the
base ball ladder by dint of hard work
and lots of 1t. He has used ms heau
as wen as has hands and ms eyes. Ten
years ago, Jesse Burkett was practI-
eely an untrled bail payer. He first
played base ball professionally with
the Scranton, Pa, team in 80, and at
that time he devoted his energies en-
tirely to the pitchers box.
He was a success with Scranton and
the following year, in 1889, he came to
Worcester to play upon the team that
monwealth that year. With him were
associated Happy John" Meister at
second base. Billy Annis was playing
in the outfield, Bobby Wheelock was
chasing anything that came in sight
of shortstop, and Cudworth-that jOvial
player known by every rooter Of SO as
Kick, Cuddy, kick was captaining
the team from his position in centre
field.
Jesse Burkett pitched through the
season in Worcester, and he pitched
some Very good games. But Burkett
had tendency to be wild, and wild
ness in a player is always a disastrous
characteristics When he was steady,
and could put the balls over" the
average batsman was at his mercy.
But when he was wild, men used to
walk down to first base with, at times
aggrayating regularity. He steadied
down later and improved with the sea-
son.
In 1880, the veal. of the Brotherhood
Burkett was sold to John b. Day of
The New Yorks, principally because of
his heavy hitting, in which he i'm
proved wonderfully while in Worcester.
He was used in New York mainly in
the outfield, but during the year did
pitch in II games.
The season of ~ opened with Burkett
member of the Lincoln Nebraska
team Of the Western League. He played
in the box and in the field for the Ne
oraskans until June 20, when he went
10 Cleveland, Ohio, and since that time
he has been doing constant service with
the Indians or the Wanderers" as
they came 10 be dubbed late last sea-
son His present position is left field.
IN the big league he is recognized as
one OF the few sure and heavy llitters
lie has not made so many. three base
hltst nor banged the ball over the fence
quite SO often as some players, but
when a. hit was most needed Burkett
was the surest man to g. it, Ever
since going into the big que, with
the exception of the first year possibly,
Jesse Burkett has lowered about the
Top Of the list of hitters. In 95 and
again in SO, when the average had been
inquired up and sent out from President
NICK r. Youngs office, Burkett stood
at the top. His batting average for '95
was AL and for 90, 40. He stood we'll
up again last season
On account of the unsettled condition
OF affairs in the Cleveland club at the
present time and the question as to
Nhether the Cleveland team will be
transferred bodily to Cleveland or re-
main in that city Burkett like many
other players directly interested in any
OF the team deals has not signed his
contract for SO. He has one in his peck
~ from President Frank De Haas Rob-
1son and will probably afix his sigma
lure thereto in course of time
IL IS an open secret that Burkett is
not especially in love with Cleveland
as q city and has wanted all along to
HeS upon some other team. If Cleveland
should go to St Louis, Burkett would
pc very much pleased. There has also
been story afloat to the effect that
ne Woula wear Giant uniform in &c.
bufkett has stated that personally he
would like to get on the New YorlSs
put a man who is under contract in
nese ball often finds that his personal
WISHES do not always count for mich.
burkett is always in the game from
the time the umpire calls play until
the last man has been retired and tbe
bats have been picked up. Indeed he
works so hard for the interest of his
own team that lie has been accused al
playing dirty ball, but those who know
MN best, players on other teams in
Nhe league, say Burkett is as much a
gentleman on the field as any man and
mat he does not stoop to undetermined
tricks. 1t is be,4suse he is so continually
IN the game nat. he is considered one
OF the most dangerous men in the bust.
ness by managers, by pitchers and BIZ
umplres
John Gaffney once said that Burket
was the hardest man to umpire to il
the country. Said Gaffney: som,
players get up to the plate and it /.
emily matter of formality to umpir,
Tor them. But with Burkett and ;
rev others like him, who never know
when they are beaten and are alway;
IN the game. playing their best, it il
different. Burkett has to be watche,
and closely watched from the time h,
steps TO the bat until he has either beer
retired or scored his run. 1t is no
because he is up TO any trick that IN
has to be watched, Not that at ali
He is simply playing the game, and i
the umpire does not keep a shar1
watch, he Will find that he has unwit
tingly been bested by player. IT.
position that none of us umpires en-
JOY finding ourselves in. That's VIII
we are so on the watch when Jess
comes up to the plate'
During the off-season Burkett make
ms home in this city, and even durin,
the playing season, always takes a rlll
up to Worcester when Cleveland i
scheduled for Boston, to see his wifi
and family. Like all the men VIII,
have made permanent success Of an,
branch Of athletics, Burkett is a fel
low Of good habits
For outdoor exercise in winter. HI
takes walks and is also a great love
OF skating and ice polo. When no
otherwise engaged, and when there il
good skating on Salisbury pond, he ma,
be found there almost any Afternoon
wearing q Cleveland Club sweater
playing a scrub game Of hockey
only three men will participate in the
amateur billiard championship at the