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Van Rose
Sunday, May 07, 2000 Page: 3C
It’s no secret that turnover is commonplace in minor league baseball. Here
today, gone tomorrow.
But that didn’t make it any easier for Red Barons fans to swallow when
outfielder Darren Burton was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
The Pirates assigned Burton to Double-A Altoona in the Eastern League.
For the most part, Burton’s departure completes the breakup of last year’s
wonderful team that uncorked a furious late run to win a division title and
qualify for the International League playoffs.
Except for pitchers Sean Fesh and Barry Johnson, the 1999 Red Barons have
been reduced to a memory. Oh, Pat Burrell and Jimmy Rollins have returned, but
they were only here briefly last year.
Red Barons General Manager Rick Muntean is used to turnover. But he’s a
little choked up about Burton leaving.
“When I took over in the beginning of 1997, Burton was here,” Muntean
said. “As long as I’ve been the GM, he’s been here. The first thing I thought
about when I heard the news is `Wow, my original guy is gone.’ ”
But Muntean is happy for the young man with whom he’s become a close
friend.
“For Darren, this is the best move that could happen,” Muntean said.
“He’s going to quickly show the Pirates that he doesn’t belong in Double-A.
And don’t forget, the Pirates call players up from every level.”
Burton, who was the Red Barons’ starting right fielder in 1998 and ’99,
endeared himself to fans with his hard-nosed style of play. A switch-hitter
with power, the 27-year-old Kentuckian delivered several clutch hits last
season.
He possesses exceptional speed and a strong throwing arm. On several
occasions, opposing baserunners thought twice about testing Burton’s rifle
arm.
However, Burton’s most important contribution to the Red Barons was his
fierce desire to win. He took every game to heart, and had a tough time
dealing with losses.
Take last week. Even when the Red Barons were immersed in a seven-game
winning streak, Burton was still anguishing over an earlier losing streak.
“I still can’t believe this team lost seven games in a row,” Burton said.
“It’s incomprehensible.”
Burton put up decent numbers during his three previous seasons at
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He batted .260, with 38 home runs and 161 RBI.
He felt he was good enough to be a backup player in Philadelphia, but never
got the call.
The high point of Burton’s career occurred earlier this year, when he
joined roommate Pat Burrell in the Phillies’ outfield in a spring training
game.
Meanwhile, two members of the 1999 Red Barons made headlines last week.
Wendell Magee Jr. hit a game-winning home run for Detroit, and Bobby Estalella
hit a grand slam for San Francisco.
But don’t shed any tears for the Red Barons. They have put together a new
team that appears more than capable of winning another division title.
“We still have last year’s leader,” Muntean said, referring to manager
Marc Bombard. “For me, that kind of takes the edge off losing all those
faces.”
Call Rose at 829-7251 or e-mail [email protected]