Jamie Burke

{{for multi|the American rugby union player|Jamie Burke (rugby union)|other people named James Burke|James Burke (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Jamie Burke

|image=Jamie Burke.jpg

|caption=Burke with the Seattle Mariners

|position=Catcher

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1971|9|24}}

|birth_place=Roseburg, Oregon, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=May 9

|debutyear=2001

|debutteam=Anaheim Angels

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=June 6

|finalyear=2010

|finalteam=Washington Nationals

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.277

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=3

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=39

|teams=

Anaheim Angels ({{Baseball year|2001}})
Chicago White Sox ({{Baseball year|2003}}–{{Baseball year|2005}})
Seattle Mariners ({{Baseball year|2007}}–{{Baseball year|2009}})
Washington Nationals ({{Baseball year|2009}}–{{Baseball year|2010}})

}}

James Eugene Burke (born September 24, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He attended Oregon State University, where, along with baseball, he played for the school's football team as the kicker. He now resides in his hometown of Roseburg.

Professional career

=Minor League journeyman, 1993 to 2003=

Burke was originally drafted by the California Angels in the ninth round of the {{Baseball year|1993}} amateur draft. He appeared in nine games for the Angels during the 2001 season. Burke was signed as a free agent by the Chicago White Sox on January 27, {{Baseball year|2003}}.

=Chicago White Sox=

Burke played 73 games in the Major Leagues for the White Sox from 2003–{{Baseball year|2005}}.

=Texas Rangers, return to the minors=

The Texas Rangers signed Burke to a minor league deal near the end of the 2005 season. He did not appear in an MLB game during the {{Baseball year|2006}} season.

=A chance with the Mariners=

As a non-roster invitee in the Mariners' camp during spring training {{Baseball year|2007}}, he beat out incumbent René Rivera for the backup catcher job going into Opening Day. On September 30, 2007, on the last day of the regular season, Burke hit his first career home run against A. J. Murray of the Texas Rangers.

File:Jamie Burke June 10, 2007.jpg]]

On July 6, {{Baseball year|2008}}, Burke was pressed into service on the pitcher's mound in the 15th inning of a game against Detroit when the Mariners ran out of pitchers; he was credited with the loss. Burke allowed one hit and a run. The run scored after a lead off double, wild pitch, and sacrifice fly. Burke had previously made four pitching appearances in the minor leagues.{{cite web|url = http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280706112|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080710112528/http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280706112|url-status = dead|archive-date = July 10, 2008|title = Tigers clip M's after Seattle sends backup catcher Burke to mound in 15th|date = July 6, 2008|accessdate = 2008-07-06|work = ESPN.com}}

Following the 2008 season, Burke was non-tendered by the Mariners, making him a free agent.{{Cite web|url = http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20081213&content_id=3716249&vkey=pr_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081217235747/http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20081213&content_id=3716249&vkey=pr_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea|url-status = dead|archive-date = December 17, 2008|title = Mariners non-tender catcher Jamie Burke|date = December 13, 2008|accessdate = 2015-10-03|website = Seattle Mariners}} He was re-signed by the Mariners to a minor league contract on December 23,{{cite web|url = http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=500024|title = Burke remains with Mariners|date = 2008-12-23|accessdate = 2008-12-23|work = sportingnews.com|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090106185155/http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=500024|archivedate = 2009-01-06}} saying this about the situation,

The best gift would have been a major-league deal, but I'm pretty happy about this. This is a place I wanted to be. It's a situation I like and one that I think could work out very well.{{Cite web|url = http://baseball.realgm.com/wiretap/12816/Mariners-Re-Sign-Catcher-Jamie-Burke|title = Mariners Re-Sign Catcher Jamie Burke|date = December 24, 2008|accessdate = 2015-10-03|website = baseball.realgm.com}}

Burke was added to the active roster on April 16, 2009, following an injury to starting catcher Kenji Johjima. When Johjima returned from the disabled list on May 1, Burke was outrighted back to Tacoma; after clearing waivers, he accepted the assignment.{{Cite web|url = http://m.mariners.mlb.com/news/article/4665866|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071750/http://m.mariners.mlb.com/news/article/4665866|url-status = dead|archive-date = March 4, 2016|title = After lengthy break, Vargas to start (tidbit at bottom of article)|date = May 10, 2009|accessdate = October 3, 2015|website = Seattle Mariners|last = Street|first = Jim}}

On June 7, Burke was recalled up from Tacoma after the Mariners designated pitcher Denny Stark for assignment. In a winning effort, Burke went 2-5 with a home run and a base hit.

On June 26, Johjima was activated from the disabled list. To make room for Johjima on the 25-man roster, the Mariners designated Burke for assignment. Seattle assigned him to Tacoma.

=Washington Nationals=

On September 17, {{mlby|2009}} Burke was traded to the Washington Nationals for cash considerations, and was added to the Nats' active roster as a September call-up.{{Cite news|url = http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2009/09/nats_lose_game_acquire_c_jamie.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121011093243/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2009/09/nats_lose_game_acquire_c_jamie.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = October 11, 2012|title = Nats Lose Game, Acquire C Jamie Burke|last = Harlan|first = Chico|date = September 17, 2009|newspaper = The Washington Post|access-date = October 3, 2015}}{{Cite news|url = http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/chatter/2009/sep/17/nats-lose-acquire-catcher/|title = Nats lose, acquire catcher|last = Zuckerman|first = Mark|date = September 17, 2009|work = The Washington Times|access-date = October 3, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110607122419/http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/chatter/2009/sep/17/nats-lose-acquire-catcher/|archive-date = June 7, 2011}} The following year, his knee was injured, and he did not play his first game at the Nationals' AAA affiliate Syracuse until May 25. But after injuries to starter Iván Rodríguez and backup catcher Carlos Maldonado, he was called up{{Cite web|url = https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=5255395|title = Maldonado to DL with broken thumb|date = June 5, 2010|access-date = October 3, 2015|website = ESPN}} on June 4, and got into his first game two days later. However, four days later, Burke was designated for assignment after making only one appearance to make way for Rodríguez, who was recalled from his rehab assignment in the minors.