Bob Burda – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Bob Burda played professional baseball for a decade, from 1962 to 1972. He suited up for four Major League Baseball teams: the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers, and Boston Red Sox.

Born on July 16, 1938, in St. Louis, Missouri, Burda grew into a versatile player who handled both first base and outfield. That adaptability definitely helped him stick around.

Across his 388-game MLB career, Burda faced the unique challenge of competing alongside 19 Hall of Fame players. That really cut into his chances for a regular starting job. Nearly half his appearances came as a pinch-hitter, which showed how much managers valued his ability to deliver in clutch moments off the bench.

Take a closer look at Burda’s career, and you’ll find the story of a skilled athlete navigating the tough, crowded world of pro baseball in an era packed with legends. His journey from a St. Louis prospect to a seasoned major leaguer says a lot about the grit it takes to last a decade at baseball’s highest level.

Early Life and Background

Edward Robert Burda was born July 16, 1938, in St. Louis, Missouri. His family had strong ties to the Federal Reserve banking system.

His athletic abilities showed up early in high school. He excelled in both baseball and football before finally locking in on baseball as his main sport.

Family and Birthplace

Bob Burda grew up in a working-class St. Louis family rooted in banking. His father, Edward, worked as an assistant examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis for 48 years.

His mother, Emma, mostly stayed home but sometimes took on jobs to help out. She worked as a soda jerk and later as a meat wrapper at Kroger.

The Burdas built what Bob later called “a family tradition” in banking. Three generations worked for the Federal Reserve. Bob’s brother Dick followed their dad into banking and worked in Chicago and Texas. One of Dick’s sons also joined the Federal Reserve.

Bob and Dick both worked as soda jerks when they were young. Emma pitched in wherever she could.

Education and Amateur Baseball

Burda attended Midland Grade School, then Ritenour High School in St. Louis. He played both baseball and football, even serving as the football team’s quarterback.

His left-handed swing and throw made him stand out. He started his amateur baseball career in the Khoury League, a St. Louis-based program.

During his junior year, he helped the Thomas-Boothe Post of Overland American Legion team win the 1955 Missouri state championship. That performance earned him the Leo A. Browne Award as the top player in the St. Louis area.

In 1956, Burda played a key role for the Meramec Caverns team, which won the National Amateur Baseball Federation championship. Scouts took notice and called him “a natural for the pros.”

He received an athletic scholarship to the University of Illinois. There, he studied engineering and played freshman baseball.

Burda turned down pro contract offers at first, wanting to focus on his education.

Major League Baseball Career Overview

Bob Burda played professional baseball over seven seasons from 1962 to 1972. He appeared in 388 games for four different teams.

His career included frequent team changes and limited playing time. Established stars on his teams often kept him on the bench.

MLB Debut and Teams Played For

Edward Robert Burda made his Major League Baseball debut on August 25, 1962, with the St. Louis Cardinals at age 24. He played right field and batted second against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium.

The Cardinals purchased his contract from the Atlanta Crackers on August 22, 1962, to replace the injured Minnie Minoso. Burda got his first major league hit on August 26, a single to right off Tom Sturdivant.

His MLB journey took him through several organizations:

• St. Louis Cardinals (1962, 1971)
• San Francisco Giants (1965-1966, 1969-1970)
• Milwaukee Brewers (1970)
• Boston Red Sox (1972)

The Cardinals traded him to Pittsburgh in February 1963 for Cal Neeman. He never played in the majors for the Pirates.

Pittsburgh later sent him to the San Francisco Giants in 1965, along with Bob Priddy, for Del Crandall.

Player Roles and Positions

Burda mainly served as a utility player. He filled in wherever teams needed him.

He played first base in 106 games and appeared in the outfield 97 times, including both right and left field.

Managers used him most as a pinch-hitter. He pinch-hit in 185 of his 388 total appearances.

His left-handed bat and stance made him a good choice for that role. Burda batted and threw left-handed, stood 5 feet 11 inches, and weighed 174 pounds.

Teams valued his ability to back up first base or the outfield when regulars needed a break.

He put together a career batting average of .224, with 13 home runs and 78 RBIs over seven seasons. His defense was steady, with a .992 fielding percentage at first base.

Career Longevity and Progression

Burda’s career lasted a decade but included long stretches in the minors. He appeared in Major League Baseball games during seven non-consecutive seasons between 1962 and 1972.

His longest big league run came in 1969 with San Francisco. He played 97 games and got 184 plate appearances, easily his busiest season.

Hall of Fame players kept blocking his path to regular playing time. “You always want to play, but throughout my career there were always superstars. I played with 19 Hall of Famers,” Burda said in 2018.

He played his final MLB game in 1972 with the Boston Red Sox on August 23 against the Kansas City Royals. At 34, he wrapped up his pro baseball career after parts of 11 seasons in organized ball.

He only played more than 100 games in a season once, which really shows how tough it was for him to lock down steady playing time.

Career Highlights and Achievements

Bob Burda spent eleven years as a pro, known for his versatility and his knack for pinch-hitting. His biggest highlight came in 1971, when he racked up 14 pinch hits, leading all National League pinch hitters that year.

Performance with St. Louis Cardinals

Burda started and ended his time with the Cardinals on a high note. He made his major league debut on August 25, 1962, against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium.

His best Cardinals season came in 1971. Burda hit .318 at first base, going 7-for-22. That was his highest average in any season with regular playing time.

The Cardinals used his lefty bat against right-handed pitching. He played alongside Hall of Famers like Stan Musial and Lou Brock, which meant fewer starts but some great learning moments.

Burda played for the Cardinals in two separate stints. He was there briefly in 1962, then came back in 1971 for his most productive season.

Notable Seasons and Statistics

Burda’s 1969 season with San Francisco was his most complete. He played 97 games and had 184 plate appearances, both career highs.

That year, he hit .230 with 27 RBIs and scored 20 runs. He also hit a three-run home run on May 9 and a grand slam on July 9 against Houston.

Career Statistics:

• Games played: 388
• Home runs: 13
• RBIs: 78
• Batting average: .224
• Fielding percentage: .992 at first base

One of his most memorable moments came on July 4, 1969. He hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game 5-5 against Atlanta.

Pinch-Hitting Success

Burda really made his mark as a pinch-hitter. Nearly half his 388 major league games (185) came in that role.

In 1971, he reached his career peak by collecting 14 pinch hits in 48 at-bats. That .292 average led all National League pinch hitters.

He credited his success to mental preparation. Burda embraced the pressure and the challenge of coming off the bench cold.

The St. Louis Cardinals and other teams counted on his lefty bat late in games. That pinch-hitting skill extended his career and made him a valuable bench player even when he couldn’t crack the starting lineup.

Statistical Overview

Bob Burda’s seven-year MLB career from 1962-1972 produced a .224 batting average, 13 home runs, and 78 RBIs in 388 games. His defensive versatility let him play several positions, though his offensive production was modest across four teams.

Batting Average and Hits

Burda wrapped up his career with a .224 batting average, picking up 142 hits in 634 at-bats over seven seasons.

His best offensive year came in 1971 with the Cardinals, when he batted .296 in 65 games.

He struggled early, hitting just .071 in his 1962 debut and .111 in 1965. His breakout came in 1969 with San Francisco, batting .230 in 97 games.

Burda’s last season with Boston in 1972 was tough. He hit just .164 in 45 games.

He did slightly better in the National League (.221 average) than in the American League (.227 average).

Home Runs and Runs Batted In

Burda wasn’t much of a home run hitter, finishing with just 13 for his career. His best power year was 1969, when he hit 6 homers for the Giants.

He drove in 78 runs across 388 games. Again, 1969 was his most productive season, with 27 RBIs.

Most of his offense came during his time with San Francisco from 1965-1966 and 1969-1970. He picked up 37 of his 78 career runs batted in during those four seasons, playing 193 games.

Fielding Performance

Burda’s defensive flexibility helped him stick in the majors. He played first base, outfield, and occasionally third base.

His main positions were first base and right field. He showed solid defensive skills.

In 1962, he posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in right field over 29 innings. His outfield work was steady, though he made some errors early that he cleaned up with experience.

His defense often outshined his offense, making him valuable as a bench guy and spot starter. Teams leaned on his ability to play multiple spots, especially during his busiest season in 1969 with San Francisco.

Teams and Transitions

Bob Burda’s major league career took him to several organizations. He spent the most time with the San Francisco Giants, playing alongside some of the game’s greats.

His journey also included short stops with the Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox before he retired in 1972.

San Francisco Giants Era

In February 1965, Burda joined the San Francisco Giants after a trade from Pittsburgh. The Pirates traded him and Bob Priddy to San Francisco for Del Crandall.

Playing for the Giants wasn’t easy, especially with so many stars on the roster. Burda once said, “My competition that first year I stayed with them, Orlando Cepeda and Willie McCovey at first base. Two Hall of Famers, one played first and the other played left.”

Burda called the Giants “the original melting pot for a team.” They had Willie Mays in center field, all three Alou brothers, and even Masanori Murakami from Japan.

He spent 1965-1966 and 1969-1970 with San Francisco. In 1969, he had his best season, playing 97 games and getting 184 plate appearances.

That year, Burda hit a grand slam on July 9 against the Astros. On July 4, he launched a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game 5-5 against the Braves.

Season with Milwaukee Brewers

Burda spent the 1970 season with the Milwaukee Brewers. That year marked a quick transition as he moved from the National League Giants to the American League.

The Brewers had just relocated from Seattle and were only in their second year. Burda got some new opportunities, though his role didn’t really change from his time with the Giants.

He mostly came off the bench, serving as a pinch-hitter. The Brewers were still figuring out who they were after the move to the American League.

This was just one of the transitions Burda made as he bounced between teams, always searching for more playing time.

Final MLB Year with Boston Red Sox

In 1972, Burda wrapped up his major league career with the Boston Red Sox. Even then, he still had to compete with established stars.

When he arrived in Boston for his last big-league season, another longtime legend stood in front of him: Carl Yastrzemski.

Burda played his last game on August 23, 1972, against the Kansas City Royals. He went 0-for-1 in that final plate appearance.

The Red Sox became his fourth and last MLB team. Over seven seasons, Burda played in 388 games for these four clubs.

He ended his career with a .224 batting average, 13 home runs, and 78 RBIs. Out of his 388 games, he pinch-hit 185 times—almost half the time.

Retirement and Legacy

Bob Burda finished his baseball career in August 1972 with the Boston Red Sox, closing out a decade in the majors. After retiring, he returned to his St. Louis roots and gave back to his local community.

Retirement in 1972

Burda played his final major league game on August 23, 1972, against the Kansas City Royals. He went 0-for-1 in his last at-bat after ten seasons in pro baseball.

The Red Sox released him on August 25, 1972, just two days after his final game. They brought him back briefly in September but let him go again in October, ending his playing days for good.

Burda wrapped up his major league career with a .224 batting average in 388 games. He knocked in 78 runs and hit 13 home runs while playing for four different teams.

He built his career as a utility player and pinch hitter. Almost half of his big league appearances came as a left-handed bat off the bench, a role he filled with grit and determination.

Post-Baseball Life and Community Impact

After he retired from baseball, Burda moved back to St. Louis. He’d grown up there, so it just felt right to return home.

He settled in the area and kept close ties with the baseball community that had shaped him.

Burda’s family had some pretty deep roots in St. Louis financial circles. His dad put in 48 years at the Federal Reserve Bank downtown, which, as Burda liked to say, made it “three generations” of their family working in banking.

Later on, Burda moved out to Mesa, Arizona. He wanted to be closer to his younger brother, Dick.

In a 2018 interview, Burda looked back on his career and mentioned, almost in disbelief, that he’d “played with 19 Hall of Famers” during his pro baseball days.

He spent his post-retirement years out of the public eye. While plenty of former players stuck around as coaches or broadcasters, Burda preferred a quieter life.