Lew Burdette

Class of: 1998

Sport: MLB

Team: Boston Braves
Milwaukee Braves

Selva Lewis “Lew” Burdette, Jr. (November 22, 1926 – February 6, 2007) was a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves. The team’s top right-hander during its years in Milwaukee, he was the Most Valuable Player of the 1957 World Series, leading the franchise to its first championship in 43 years, and the only title in Milwaukee history. An outstanding control pitcher, his career average of 1.84 walks per nine innings pitched places him behind only Robin Roberts (1.73), Carl Hubbell (1.82) and Juan Marichal (1.82) among pitchers with at least 3000 innings since 1920. Lew died of lung cancer at age 80 at his home in Winter Garden, FL.