The Best Brave to Wear #33

*RHP Lew Burdette. (Richard Meek/Sports Illustrated)*

There were a handful of choices for #33, and several have a strong case. A couple of others may have been better season-by-season, but one #33 was a Brave longer than the others, and he just happened to rise up at one of the most important moments in Braves history. The best Brave to wear #33 is 1957 World Series MVP Lew Burdette.

After coming to Boston in a 1951 trade, Burdette spent most of 1952 pitching out of the pen, and switched between bullpen and relief in 1953, going 15-5 with 6 complete games and 9 saves. In 1954, moving full-time into the rotation, he went 15-14 with a 2.76 ERA, then 13-8 with a 4.03 in 1955. In 1956, as the Braves started to compete, Burdette was a big part of the step forward, going 19-10, leading the NL in ERA (2.70) and shutouts (6), and picking up some MVP votes. He was stellar again in 1957’s regular season, going 17-9, 3.72, and was named to his first All-Star team.

He started 3 games in the 1957 World Series against his former team, the Yankees, and utterly dominated with the greatest pitching performance in Braves postseason history. Just check the stats:

27.0 innings, 2 runs (0.67 ERA), 2 shutouts, and 3 wins. Burdette, more than any other Brave, was responsible for bringing a championship to Milwaukee.

He remained an excellent pitcher in 1958 (20-10, 2.91, 3rd place CYA finish) and 1959 (21-15, 4.07, 12th place MVP). He went 19-13, 3.36, and led the league in complete games (18) in 1960. In ’61, he led the league in innings (272.1) in another solid season (18-11, 4.00). Things fell apart a bit in 1962 (10-9, 4.89), and despite a bounceback to start 1963 (6-5, 3.64), he was traded to the Cardinals in June.

Burdette went 179-120 with a 3.53 ERA as #33. Retiring in 1967, he is the last MLB-er with at least 30 career shutouts and 30 career saves.

Check out Burdette’s SABR bio here.

Annnnnd check out Burdette’s song, “Mary Lou”, written for his daughter, and released while with the Braves, here:

Honorable Mentions

Johnny Sain wore #33 from 1946-1951, and was brilliant for several years. From ’46-’48, he went 65-41 with a 2.77 ERA, earning two All-Star bids and two top-5 MVP finishes. Had the CYA existed, Sain would have won the 1948 NL CYA, leading the NL in wins and innings. He had another 20-win season in 1950 and in 1951 was traded to the Yankees for… Lew Burdette.
Steve Avery switched to #33 midway through the 1991 season.. Injuries ultimately derailed him, but he was one of the NL’s best pitchers from 1991-1993. Avery was named MVP of the 1991 NLCS after throwing 16.1 shutout innings and winning 2 games.
Brian Jordan wore #33 from 1999-2001 and again when he returned in 2005-2006. In his first stint, Jordan was a star, slashing .281/.334/.463, averaging 22 HR and 96 RBI per season, and twice finishing in the top 19 in MVP voting.
No player has a better game for game career in #33 than Javier Vazquez. He was a Brave for only one season, 2009, but went 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA, 9.8 K/9, and a 4th place CYA finish.