Pat Burrell
Patrick Brian Burrell, nicknamed "Pat the Bat", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, and San Francisco Giants. Burrell won two World Series championships. During his playing days, he stood tall, weighing. He batted and threw right-handed.
Burrell attended the University of Miami, where he won the Golden Spikes Award in 1998. On June 2, 1998, he was the first overall draft pick by the Philadelphia Phillies. After two years in the minor leagues, Burrell was called up by the Phillies in 2000, and he finished fourth in voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. After hitting 27 home runs in 2001, he hit a career-high 37 home runs in 2002 and finished 14th in NL Most Valuable Player Award voting. In 2003, Burrell signed a six-year contract with the Phillies but batted a career-low.209, with 21 home runs. In 2004, he batted.257 with 24 home runs but missed several games with a wrist injury. Burrell hit 32 home runs in 2005 and finished seventh in NL MVP Award voting after he set a career high with 117 runs batted in. In 2006, he batted.258, with 29 home runs, and 95 RBI but was benched for a few games due to a slump after April. Burrell batted.256 with 30 home runs in 2007 as the Phillies reached the playoffs for the first time in his career. He hit a home run in the playoffs as the Phillies were swept in the first round. In 2008, Burrell hit 33 home runs as the Phillies reached the playoffs again, winning the World Series.
After the 2008 season, Burrell became a free agent. He signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays to be their designated hitter. In 2009, Burrell batted a disappointing.221 with 14 home runs. After he batted only.202 with two home runs in his first 24 games of the 2010 season, Burrell was designated for assignment by the Rays. He became a free agent and signed with the San Francisco Giants several days later. Burrell took over as San Francisco's left fielder and hit 18 home runs in 96 games for the Giants, helping to lead them into the playoffs. He had a key double versus his former team, the Phillies, as the Giants defeated them on their way to the World Series. That fall, Burrell got his second World Series ring as the Giants emerged victorious against the Texas Rangers. The following year, he signed a one-year deal to return for the Giants’ 2011 season; however, Burrell ultimately lost his left field job, as he batted.230, with a career-low 7 home runs, in 92 games, while battling what would be a career-ending foot injury.
Burrell filed for free agency on October 30, 2011. On April 12, 2012, it was announced that Philadelphia would sign him to a one-day contract, in order that he could finish his career as a Phillie. On May 19, 2012, at Citizens Bank Park, prior to the Phillies-Boston Red Sox game, Burrell threw out the ceremonial first pitch and subsequently retired.
In March 2012, Burrell was named as a special assignment scout for the Giants and an assistant to General Manager Brian Sabean.
Early life
Patrick Brian Burrell was born on October 10, 1976, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Burrell attended San Lorenzo Valley High School in Felton, California, as a freshman. After his freshman year, he transferred to Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, where he played baseball and football. In the football program, playing quarterback, Burrell competed against Tom Brady, who played for rival Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California. He decided to concentrate on baseball in his senior year, however, and he was named the California Coaches Association Player of the Year after he batted.369 with 11 home runs.College career
After graduating from high school in 1995, Burrell was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 43rd round of the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft. Instead of signing, he chose to attend the University of Miami, where he played third base and was a teammate of Aubrey Huff. As a freshman, he was selected as a First-Team All-American by Baseball America and the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1996 College World Series, joining Dave Winfield and Phil Nevin as the only players to win the award without winning the series. In the summer of 1996, he played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Hyannis Mets and was named a league all-star. In his sophomore year, he was again named a First-Team All-American by Baseball America and the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper but also by the Sporting News this year. He was named Baseball America's Summer Player of the year in 1997. In 1998, as a junior, he won the Golden Spikes Award as the best player in college baseball. Burrell finished his college career with 61 home runs, 187 runs batted in, and 170 walks in 162 games. His.442 batting average was seventh all-time by an NCAA player, and his slugging percentage of.888 was second only to Pete Incaviglia. In February 2008, Burrell was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.Professional career
Draft and minor leagues
In 1998 Burrel was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies with the first overall pick in the 1998 MLB draft. On July 24, 1998, Burrell and the Phillies agreed to a five-year contract with a $3.15 million signing bonus. Upon signing, Burrell was assigned to the Class A-Advanced Clearwater Phillies of the Florida State League, and he was moved to first base because Scott Rolen, Philadelphia's third baseman in the major leagues, had just won the National League Rookie of the Year Award. With Clearwater in 1998, Burrell batted.303 with 7 home runs and 30 RBI in 37 games.Entering the 1999 season, Burrell was named the top prospect in the Phillies' organization by Baseball America, who also named him baseball's 19th best prospect. He spent most of the season with the Double-A Reading Phillies of the Eastern League, batting.333 with 28 home runs and 90 RBI in 117 games. He was named to the Eastern League's post-season All-Star team and won the Eastern League Rookie of the Year Award. He also played 10 games with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons of the Triple-A International League, batting.152 with 1 home run and 4 RBI. In addition to playing first base, he was used as an outfielder with both teams.
Burrell was named the Phillies' top prospect and the second-best prospect in baseball by Baseball America in 2000. He began the season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Playing first base and the outfield, he batted.294 with 4 home runs and 25 RBI in 40 games.