| Bill Burns | |
|---|---|
.jpg) 1910 baseball card of Burns | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1880-01-27)January 27, 1880 San Saba, Texas, U.S. | |
| Died: June 6, 1953(1953-06-06) (aged 73) Ramona, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Both Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 18, 1908, for the Washington Senators | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 23, 1912, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 30–52 |
| Earned run average | 2.72 |
| Strikeouts | 233 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
William Thomas Burns (January 27, 1880 – June 6, 1953), nicknamed "Sleepy Bill", was an Americanbaseball player who played as apitcher inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for five different teams from 1908 to 1912. He earned his nickname for his noticeable lack of intensity on the mound.[citation needed] Burns was best known for his involvement in the alleged fixing of the1919 World Series, dubbed theBlack Sox Scandal.
Burns played in the minor leagues from 1906 to 1907. In 1907, he won a career-high 24 games with theLos Angeles Angels of thePacific Coast League.[1]
In his five-year MLB career, Burns played for theWashington Senators,Chicago White Sox,Cincinnati Reds,Philadelphia Phillies, andDetroit Tigers.[2] In his rookie season, 1908, Burns had a 1.69earned run average (ERA), which was sixth best in theAmerican League. However, he had an MLB career record of 30–52 as a pitcher and never won more than eight games in a season.
Pitching against the Tigers on May 21, 1908, Burns's bid for ano-hitter ended after 8 2/3 innings whenGermany Schaefer singled to drive in the game's only run. On July 31, 1909, now pitching for the White Sox againstWalter Johnson and the Senators, Burns again was one out from a no-hitter when it was broken up. This made him the first pitcher in baseball history to suffer this fate twice, a feat not repeated untilDave Stieb lost no-hitters with two outs in the ninth inning in consecutive starts on September 24 and 30, 1988. Stieb would go on to break Burns's record on August 4, 1989, this time losing aperfect game with one out to go.
After his major league career ended, Burns played in the minor leagues from 1912 to 1917.[1]
Prior to the start of the1919 World Series, a group of players from the Chicago White Sox agreed to intentionally lose the series in exchange for money from gamblers. Burns met withEddie Cicotte andChick Gandil atThe Ansonia, a hotel inNew York City during the formative stages of the event.[3]
It is likely that Burns operated on behalf ofArnold Rothstein, a New York businessman and gambler. Burns relayed messages back and forth between the players who had agreed tofix the games and a person whose initials were "A .R.".[4] Burns lost money betting on the series.
After news of the scandal broke, a trial took place inChicago. During this trial, Burns served as a witness for theprosecution.Assistant State Attorney Edward Prindeville examined Burns during the trial. Burns testified:
I told them I had the hundred thousand dollars to handle the throwing of the World Series. I also told them that I had the names of the men who were going to finance it. I told them they were waiting below.[5]
In the 1988 filmEight Men Out, Burns was portrayed by actorChristopher Lloyd.
