George Burns
Born: 1/31/1893 in Niles, OH, USA
Died: 1/7/1978 in Kirkland, WA, USA
MLB Debut: 1914-04-14 | Final Game: 1929-09-29
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 180 lbs
Full name: George Henry Burns
Biography
George Burns was a prominent American baseball player born in 1893, whose career spanned from 1914 to 1929. Known for his exceptional hitting prowess and consistent offensive production, Burns played a total of 1,866 games and accumulated 2,018 hits, boasting an impressive batting average of .307. Over the course of his career, he recorded 72 home runs and drove in 951 runs, making him a significant contributor to his teams' success during the early 20th century. Additionally, Burns showcased his speed on the bases, finishing his career with 154 stolen bases.
Burns played during a transformative era in baseball, as the sport was evolving from the deadball era into a more offense-oriented game. His ability to consistently reach base and drive in runs placed him among the notable players of his time, and his contributions were vital to the teams he played for. His legacy is remembered not only for his statistical achievements but also for his role in shaping the offensive landscape of baseball during a pivotal time in the sport's history.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1866 | 6573 | 901 | 2018 | 444 | 72 | 72 | 951 | 154 | 363 | 433 | 0.307 | 0.354 | 0.429 | 0.783 | 13577.5 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | DET | AL | 137 | 478 | 55 | 139 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 57 | 23 | 32 | 56 | 0.291 | 1120.8 |
| 1915 | DET | AL | 105 | 392 | 49 | 99 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 50 | 9 | 22 | 51 | 0.253 | -65.1 |
| 1916 | DET | AL | 135 | 479 | 60 | 137 | 22 | 6 | 4 | 73 | 12 | 22 | 30 | 0.286 | 839.5 |
| 1917 | DET | AL | 119 | 407 | 42 | 92 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 40 | 3 | 15 | 33 | 0.226 | -784.8 |
| 1918 | PHA | AL | 130 | 505 | 61 | 178 | 22 | 9 | 6 | 70 | 8 | 23 | 25 | 0.352 | 2942.5 |
| 1919 | PHA | AL | 126 | 470 | 63 | 139 | 29 | 9 | 8 | 57 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 0.296 | 1373.4 |
| 1920 | CLE | AL | 44 | 56 | 7 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0.268 | 11.7 |
| 1920 | PHA | AL | 22 | 60 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 0.233 | 11.7 |
| 1921 | CLE | AL | 84 | 244 | 52 | 88 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 49 | 3 | 13 | 19 | 0.361 | 758.4 |
| 1922 | BOS | AL | 147 | 558 | 71 | 171 | 32 | 5 | 12 | 73 | 8 | 20 | 28 | 0.306 | 460.7 |
| 1923 | BOS | AL | 146 | 551 | 91 | 181 | 47 | 5 | 7 | 82 | 9 | 45 | 33 | 0.328 | 1815.4 |
| 1924 | CLE | AL | 129 | 462 | 64 | 143 | 37 | 5 | 4 | 68 | 14 | 29 | 27 | 0.310 | 827.0 |
| 1925 | CLE | AL | 127 | 488 | 69 | 164 | 41 | 4 | 6 | 79 | 16 | 24 | 24 | 0.336 | 946.1 |
| 1926 | CLE | AL | 151 | 603 | 97 | 216 | 64 | 3 | 4 | 114 | 13 | 28 | 33 | 0.358 | 2516.2 |
| 1927 | CLE | AL | 140 | 549 | 84 | 175 | 51 | 2 | 3 | 78 | 13 | 42 | 27 | 0.319 | 1112.3 |
| 1928 | CLE | AL | 82 | 209 | 29 | 52 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 30 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 0.249 | -152.3 |
| 1928 | NYY | AL | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.500 | -152.3 |
| 1929 | NYY | AL | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1929 | PHA | AL | 29 | 49 | 5 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.265 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0.250 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | WS | PHA | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| 1920 | WS | CLE | 5 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0.300 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1671 | 0 | 16892 | 1094 | 245 | 1117 |
| OF | 50 | 0 | 78 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | DET | 1B | 137 | 0 | 1579 | 79 | 30 | 72 |
| 1915 | DET | 1B | 104 | 0 | 1155 | 57 | 17 | 65 |
| 1916 | DET | 1B | 124 | 0 | 1355 | 54 | 22 | 71 |
| 1917 | DET | 1B | 104 | 0 | 1127 | 57 | 12 | 44 |
| 1918 | PHA | 1B | 128 | 0 | 1384 | 104 | 26 | 109 |
| 1918 | PHA | OF | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1919 | PHA | 1B | 86 | 0 | 918 | 71 | 20 | 44 |
| 1919 | PHA | OF | 34 | 0 | 53 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 1920 | CLE | 1B | 12 | 0 | 84 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 1920 | CLE | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920 | PHA | OF | 13 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1921 | CLE | 1B | 73 | 0 | 534 | 41 | 6 | 40 |
| 1922 | BOS | 1B | 140 | 0 | 1412 | 94 | 20 | 103 |
| 1923 | BOS | 1B | 146 | 0 | 1485 | 92 | 16 | 103 |
| 1924 | CLE | 1B | 127 | 0 | 1227 | 110 | 18 | 85 |
| 1925 | CLE | 1B | 126 | 0 | 1195 | 82 | 14 | 94 |
| 1926 | CLE | 1B | 151 | 0 | 1499 | 99 | 19 | 122 |
| 1927 | CLE | 1B | 139 | 0 | 1362 | 102 | 15 | 111 |
| 1928 | CLE | 1B | 53 | 0 | 470 | 38 | 8 | 44 |
| 1928 | NYA | 1B | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929 | PHA | 1B | 19 | 0 | 99 | 5 | 0 | 9 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1673 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 48 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 1B |
| 1926 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 1B |
| 1926 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1926 | TSN All-Star | 1B |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 1st | 63.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1925 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 4.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1923 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 10th | 8.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1922 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 2.0 | 64 | 0 |