Joe Burke (baseball executive)
- Joe Burke (baseball executive)
Joseph R. Burke (1924-1992) was a front office executive in American Major League Baseball who served as general manager or club president of the Kansas City Royals during the most successful period in that franchise's history.
Burke was executive vice president and general manager of the Royals from the middle of the 1974 season through October 1981. He then served as club president until his death on May 12, 1992. During his tenure, Burke was general manager of the Royals' first American League championship team, the 1980 edition, then was president of the 1985 Royals, which won the franchise's first (and so far only) World Series title. In addition to those two pennant-winners, the Royals won American League West Division championships in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981 (second half of a split season) and 1984.
Burke previously worked in the front office of the Texas Rangers and its predecessor, the second Washington Senators franchise. He had begun his baseball career in 1948 with the Louisville Colonels of the AAA American Association, where he worked under Ed Doherty, general manager of the franchise. After rising to the post of GM of the Colonels in by|1960, Burke joined the expansion Senators in 1961 as business manager, again working for Doherty, the club's first general manager. He later became the Senators' vice president and treasurer, and was retained when Bob Short purchased the club in 1968. He accompanied the Senators to Dallas-Fort Worth when the franchise relocated after the '71 season and became the Rangers' general manager in their first season in North Texas.
In June 1974, Burke became the second general manager in Royals' history. One of his first major moves in Kansas City was the hiring of Whitey Herzog as manager during the middle of the 1975 season. Herzog, who had failed dismally as the Rangers' pilot during 1973, would turn the Royals into consistent contenders in the AL West. Burke also appointed Jim Frey and Dick Howser as managers after Herzog's exit, and each man would lead Kansas City to an American League pennant (and, in Howser's case, the 1985 World Series title as well).
Burke died of lymphatic cancer in Kansas City, Kansas, at age 68.
References
*Obituary, The Washington Post, May 14, 1992.
*Obituary, The New York Times, May 14, 1992.
*Baseball America Executive Database.
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Burke — may refer to:PlacesAustralia* Shire of Burke, Queensland, a Local Government Areas in Australia * Division of Burke has been the name of an Australian Electoral Division twice * Bourke, New South Wales, a town (pronounced Burke )Canada* Burke… … Wikipedia
Joseph Burke — or Joe Burke may refer to* Joe Burke (keyboardist) (born 1939), Irish accordion player * Joe Burke (baseball executive) (1924 1992), American Major League Baseball executive, general manager and club president of the Kansas City Royals * Joe… … Wikipedia
baseball — /bays bawl /, n. 1. a game of ball between two nine player teams played usually for nine innings on a field that has as a focal point a diamond shaped infield with a home plate and three other bases, 90 ft. (27 m) apart, forming a circuit that… … Universalium
2005 in baseball — See also: 2005 Major League Baseball season The following are the baseball events of the year 2005 throughout the world. Contents 1 Headline events of the year 2 Champions 2.1 Major League Baseball … Wikipedia
Mike Flanagan (baseball) — Mike Flanagan Flanagan in 2007 Pitcher Born: December 16, 1951(1951 12 16) Manchester, New Hampshire … Wikipedia
1971 in baseball — Year in baseball this year = 1971 ChampionsMajor League BaseballBaseballplayoffsbracket1969 1993 | RD1=League Championship Series NBC | RD2=World Series NBC RD1 seed1=| RD1 seed2=| RD1 seed3=| RD1 seed4= RD1 seed1=East | RD1 team1=Baltimore… … Wikipedia
1975 in baseball — Year in baseball this year = 1975 ChampionsMajor League Baseball*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Boston Red Sox (4 3); Pete Rose, MVP4TeamBracket | RD1=League Championship Series NBC | RD2=World Series NBC RD1 seed1=| RD1 seed2=| RD1 seed3=|… … Wikipedia
Daniel Burke (executive) — Daniel Burke (February 4, 1929 October 26, 2011) was an American television executive. With Capital Cities Chairman Tom Murphy, Burke spearheaded the $3.5 billion acquisition of the American Broadcasting Company in 1986 by Capital Cities, a much… … Wikipedia
Michael E. Herman — (born c. 1943) was president of the Kansas City Royals from 1992 to 2000. Herman received a Bachelors of Science degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1962 and MBA from the University of Chicago.[1] Herman… … Wikipedia
List of New York Yankees owners and executives — Current Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman The New York Yankees are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in The Bronx, New York City, New York. They play in the American League East division. This list consists of the o … Wikipedia
