1981 Topps Britt Burns

 

The front: The White Sox had some of the more unusual uniforms of their era. Looks like he's wearing blue jeans here.

The back: Burns put up his dominant numbers at Huffman High School in Birmingham, AL. Wikipedia says that he was "discovered" by a Chicago Tribune book critic but that is not exactly correct; Cromie attended a game where Burns threw an 18-strikeout no-hitter, and let the White Sox know about him; but scouts from almost every other MLB organization were also at the game.

The player: Burns had a great rookie season in 1980, going 15-13 with a 2.84 ERA; he is credited with a league leading 7.0 WAR that season. Burns was a solid performer for the next few seasons, though injuries cut at his ineffectiveness. After a 1985 season when he went 18-11 despite a 3.96 ERA, he was traded to the Yankees. He never pitched for the Yankees, as a degenerative hip condition quickly worsened, requiring surgery that cut his femur in half. He attempted a comeback in 1990 but was unable to return to the major leagues. Overall in 193 MLB games, all for the White Sox between 1978 and 1985, he went 70-60 with a 3.66 ERA.

The man: Burns had a long career as a minor league pitching coach after his playing days. He still does some youth pitching instruction in Alabama.

My collection: I have 25 of his cards, from 1981 to 1990. I would be interested in trading for 1983 Kellogg's #43.