Glenn Burke, baseball player, 1976-1979

Glenn Burke

Born: 11/16/1952 in Oakland, CA, USA

Died: 5/30/1995 in San Leandro, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1976-04-09 | Final Game: 1979-06-04

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Glenn Lawrence Burke

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Biography

Glenn Burke was a professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 to 1979. Born in 1952, Burke was known for his versatility as a position player, contributing primarily as an outfielder during his career. He appeared in a total of 225 games, where he showcased his speed on the bases by stealing 35 bases. Over the course of his time in the majors, he accumulated 124 hits, 2 home runs, and 38 runs batted in, finishing with a batting average of .237. Burke played in an era marked by significant social change and the evolution of the game. He was one of the first openly gay players in professional sports, breaking barriers and paving the way for future athletes to embrace their identities. While his statistical contributions may not place him among the all-time greats, his impact extended beyond the field as he challenged the norms of his time. Burke's legacy remains significant in discussions about diversity and acceptance in sports, illustrating the broader societal shifts occurring during the late 1970s.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
225 523 50 124 18 2 2 38 35 22 70 0.237 0.270 0.291 0.561 -1850.4

Career AVG .237 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 9.1% below league average.

Career OBP .270 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 17.1% below league average.

Career SLG .291 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 24.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.561 vs. league average 0.711 across their career seasons — 21.1% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1976 LAD NL 25 46 9 11 2 0 0 5 3 3 8 0.239 — — — — -96.5
1977 LAD NL 83 169 16 43 8 0 1 13 13 5 22 0.254 .264 (-4%) .329 (-15%) .401 (-20%) .730 (-18%) -565.4
1978 LAD NL 16 19 2 4 0 0 0 2 1 0 4 0.211 — — — — 0.0
1978 OAK AL 78 200 19 47 6 1 1 14 15 10 26 0.235 .257 (-9%) .323 (-16%) .378 (-23%) .702 (-20%) 0.0
1979 OAK AL 23 89 4 19 2 1 0 4 3 4 10 0.213 .265 (-20%) .329 (-25%) .397 (-35%) .727 (-30%) -454.8

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 12 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.083

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1977 NLCS LAN 4 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000
1977 WS LAN 3 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.200

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
OF 199 125 339 4 6 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1976 LAN OF 20 13 33 0 1 0
1977 LAN OF 74 35 98 1 3 0
1978 LAN OF 15 1 10 0 0 0
1978 OAK 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1978 OAK OF 67 53 152 1 2 0
1979 OAK OF 23 23 46 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 1
Left Field 49
Center Field 135
Right Field 22
Designated Hitter 4

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Merritt College Oakland CA 1971, 1972