Lew Burdette - Career Statistics

Career Statistics

In an 18-year career, Burdette posted a 203–144 record with 1074 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA in 3067.1 innings, compiling 158 complete games and 33 shutouts. In two All-Star games, he allowed only one run in seven innings pitched, and in 1956 he topped National League pitchers with a 2.70 earned run average. He was twice a twenty game winner and twice led the National League in shutouts. He also led the National League in wins, earned run average, innings and complete games once each. His totals of wins, games and innings with the Braves ranked behind only Spahn and Kid Nichols in franchise history. As a hitter, he compiled a .183 batting average with 75 RBI and 12 home runs; his first two home runs came in the same 1957 game, and he later had two more two-homer games.

Burdette was often rumored as having thrown spitballs, leading New York Times sportswriter Red Smith to write, "There should be 3 pitching statistics for Burdette: Wins, Losses, and Relative Humidity."

In 1958, a reference to Burdette appeared in an episode of Leave It To Beaver. The text "Lew Burdette just hit a home run and Milwaukee leads seven to one in the series." appears briefly in a few frames showing a letter from the principal to Beaver's parents. Burdette also cut a record in the 1950s entitled "Three Strikes and Then You're Out".

Burdette was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame. He died of lung cancer at age 80 at his home in Winter Garden, Florida.