Ray Burris facts for kids

Bertram Ray Burris, born on August 22, 1950, is an American former pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB from 1973 to 1987 for seven different teams. Today, he works as a rehabilitation pitching coordinator for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. Ray Burris was known for throwing and batting right-handed. He was 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 200 pounds during his playing days.

Ray Burris's Early Life and College Sports

Ray Burris was born in Idabel, Oklahoma. His parents were sharecroppers, which meant they worked on farms. Ray spent many hours each day helping his family in the fields, even through high school.

He went to Southwestern Oklahoma State University. There, he earned a degree in Recreational Leadership. He was also a talented athlete, playing both basketball and baseball for his college. In 1972, he was named an All-America player. He also set a record for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics with 150 strikeouts in one season. He helped his college team, the Bulldogs, finish fifth in the national tournament.

Ray Burris's Baseball Career

Playing for the Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs picked Ray Burris in the 17th round of the 1972 Major League Baseball draft. After playing just one season in the Cubs' minor league system, he joined the major league team in 1973. He made his first MLB appearance on April 8, 1973, pitching well for 3.1 innings. In his next game, he started as a pitcher and helped the Cubs win against the New York Mets.

In 1974, Burris mostly pitched from the bullpen (as a relief pitcher). He earned his first major league save by getting six outs and striking out four batters. However, he later struggled in some games.

For the 1975 season, the Cubs made Burris a starting pitcher. He pitched his first full game (called a complete game) in his very first start that year. On May 26, he pitched his first shutout, meaning the other team didn't score any runs while he was pitching. That year, he led the Cubs with fifteen wins and pitched 238.1 innings.

In 1976, Burris had a tough start to the season. But he turned things around in the second half. He pitched a three-hit shutout against the Montreal Expos in July. He also had two more shutouts later in the season. He finished 1976 with 15 wins and a good ERA of 3.11. He also led the Cubs with four shutouts and ten complete games.

In 1977, Burris was 14–16 with a 4.72 ERA. He allowed 29 home runs, which was the most in the National League that year. Interestingly, he also hit his only career home run in 1977.

He started the 1979 season in the bullpen, which he didn't like. On May 23, the Cubs traded Burris to the New York Yankees.

Time with the New York Yankees and New York Mets

Ray Burris's time with the New York Yankees was short and not very successful. He pitched in fifteen games as a reliever and had a 6.18 ERA. On August 20, 1979, he was picked up by the New York Mets. This gave him a chance to be a starting pitcher again, even though the Mets were not a strong team at the time.

In his first game for the Mets, Burris pitched seven innings and allowed only two hits. He continued to pitch well in 1980, with a 2.39 ERA through May. However, the Mets' offense struggled to score runs, so his record didn't show how well he was pitching. He missed July due to a broken thumb. When he returned, he pitched a complete game win against the first-place Expos. He finished the season with a 7–7 record before losing his last six games as a Met.

New York Mets 1980 #26 Ray Burris road jersey

Playing for the Montreal Expos

After leaving the Mets, Burris signed with the Montreal Expos. In 1981, he had some bad luck with close losses. However, he pitched much better in the second half of the season, helping the Expos win their division. This led him to his only career postseason appearance.

In the 1981 playoffs, he started Game 3 of the 1981 National League Division Series against the Phillies, but the Expos lost. Then, in the 1981 National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Burris pitched a fantastic complete game shutout in Game 2, tying the series. He faced the Dodgers again in the deciding Game 5, pitching a great game that was tied 1-1 into the ninth inning. The Expos eventually lost that game, ending their playoff run.

The 1982 season was tough for Burris. He started 0–7, often because his team didn't score runs for him. His ERA went up, and he was moved back to the bullpen. He finished the season with an 0–11 record as a starter but was 4–3 as a reliever.

In 1983, he started the season in the bullpen but pitched well enough to become a starter again. He had a 3–5 record as a starter and a 1–2 record in relief.

Time with the Oakland Athletics

In the off-season, Burris was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He started the 1984 season in the bullpen. He pitched very well in relief, allowing only two earned runs in 16.1 innings. This led to him getting a chance to start again. On April 28, he pitched a four-hit shutout against the Minnesota Twins. Ray Burris became a top pitcher for the A's that year, finishing with thirteen wins and leading the team in innings pitched.

Playing for the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals

After the 1984 season, Burris was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. He won his first game as a Brewer but then lost his next four. He finished the 1985 season with nine wins. On August 11, he recorded his 1,000th career strikeout.

The Brewers released Burris in 1986, and he signed a minor league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. He pitched well in the minor leagues and was soon called up to the Cardinals. In his first start, he won and even hit a double with the bases loaded, bringing in three runs! He had another game where he brought in four runs. He finished his time with the Cardinals with a 4–5 record before being released in August 1986.

Ray Burris's Career Statistics

Here are some of Ray Burris's career stats:

Ray Burris's Coaching Career

After his playing career, Ray Burris became involved in coaching. In 1987, he worked for the Milwaukee Brewers as an assistant to the general manager and as a minor-league instructor. While coaching in the minor leagues, he actually pitched in two games himself! His pitching was good, and he ended up playing ten more games for the Milwaukee Brewers in the major leagues before retiring for good as a player.

From 1990 to 1991, Burris was the pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers. He then became the bullpen coach for the Texas Rangers in 1992. He also worked in their main office and minor league teams.

Later, he worked as a pitching instructor for the Cardinals' minor league teams in 2001 and 2002. He then moved to the Detroit Tigers organization, coaching for their minor league teams like the Oneonta Tigers (2006), West Michigan Whitecaps (2007), and Erie SeaWolves (2008).

In 2013, he joined the Phillies organization as a pitching coach for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, their Triple-A team. Since 2016, he has been the Phillies' rehabilitation pitching coach, helping injured pitchers get back to playing.

Burris with the Chicago Cubs