Morgan Burkhart | |||
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First baseman/Designated hitter | |||
Born: St. Louis, Missouri |
January 29, 1972 |||
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MLB debut | |||
June 27, 2000, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
July 2, 2003, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .248 | ||
Home runs | 5 | ||
Runs batted in | 23 | ||
Teams | |||
Morgan Burkhart (born January 29, 1972 in St. Louis, Missouri) is a former first baseman/designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox (2000–2001) and Kansas City Royals (2003). He was a switch hitter and threw left-handed. He is currently the manager of the Windy City ThunderBolts in the Frontier League.
Burkhart graduated from Hazelwood West High School in Hazelwood, Missouri.
Listed at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 225 pounds, Burkhart was never able to fulfill the potential that he showed in the minor leagues. He started his professional career in 1995 as a pitcher/1B with the Richmond Roosters of the independent Frontier League. His numbers were significant, considering that during his time the league only had an 80-game schedule. In four seasons of Frontier ball, Burkhart hit .353 (393-for-1113), averaging 21.5 home runs and 76.5 RBI in each season. He won three league MVP awards, was selected to the All-Star Game four times, and won the Triple Crown in 1998, hitting .404 with 36 home runs and 98 RBIs in 80 games, being honored by Baseball America as the 1998 Independent Player of the Year. He was dubbed by Peter Gammons as the "Babe Ruth of the Frontier League."