Ellis Burton facts for kids

Ellis Narrington Burton (born August 12, 1936 – died October 1, 2013) was an American professional baseball player. He was a center fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Ellis played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago Cubs.

He was a switch-hitter, meaning he could bat from both the right and left sides of home plate. He threw the ball with his right hand. Ellis Burton was born in Los Angeles, California.

Ellis Burton's Baseball Career

Ellis Burton played in Major League Baseball for parts of five seasons. He was known for his skills as an outfielder.

Major League Highlights

During his time in the Major Leagues, Ellis Burton played in 215 games. He had a batting average of .216. This means he got a hit about 21.6% of the times he tried to hit the ball.

He also hit 17 home runs. A home run is when a player hits the ball so far that they can run around all the bases and score a point. Ellis also had 59 runs batted in (RBIs). An RBI means a player helped one of their teammates score a run. He scored 79 runs himself and stole six bases.

Playing in the Minor Leagues

Before and during his time in the MLB, Ellis Burton also played in the minor leagues. Minor league teams are like training grounds for players hoping to reach the Major Leagues.

Ellis played in the minor leagues for eleven years, from 1955 to 1965. During this time, he played for 10 different teams. He played at four different levels of minor league baseball. In 1,213 minor league games, he hit for a .274 average and blasted 169 home runs.