Rick Burleson from the Chronology

Apr 17, 1982 - Lured by a cap night promotion‚ a stadium-record 61‚640 fans pack Anaheim Stadium and see Brian Downing homer twice to lead the Angels to a 6-2 win over the Twins. In the 6th inning‚ SS Rick Burleson tears his rotator cuff making a throw to 1B and will be lost for the season.

Apr 14, 1982 - In the longest game ever played at Anaheim Stadium‚ the Angels beat Seattle 4-3 on Bob Boone's RBI single in the bottom of the 20th inning. The game began yesterday‚ but was suspended after 17 innings. In the 20 innings‚ Angels SS Rick Burleson accounts for ML-record 15 assists. In the scheduled contest‚ California wins again‚ 2-1 in 10 innings.

Mar 13, 1981 - The Angels sign Rick Burleson to a 6-year‚ $4.2 million contract‚ making him the highest-paid SS in baseball history. Burleson was entering the last year of a 4-year contract that paid him $125‚000 per year.

Jan 23, 1981 - Faced with the possibility of losing star OF Fred Lynn to free agency because of a front-office blunder‚ the Red Sox trade Lynn and P Steve Renko to the Angels for pitchers Frank Tanana and Jim Dorsey and OF Joe Rudi. The Players' Association contends that Lynn, catcher Carlton Fisk, and shortstop Rick Burleson are free agents because the Red Sox failed to mail their new contracts by the deadline provided for in the Basic Agreement. Lynn signs a 4-year deal with the Angels and agrees to drop his case. Fisk's case will go to arbitration.

Dec 10, 1980 - The Red Sox trade SS Rick Burleson and 3B Butch Hobson to the Angels for 3B Carney Lansford‚ CF Rick Miller‚ and P Mark Clear.

Jun 16, 1979 - At Chicago‚ the Red Sox beat the White Sox 11-5 behind Rick Burleson's inside-the-park homer and Carl Yastrzemski's 1‚000th extra base hit. Yaz is the 15th player to reach that plateau.

Oct 1, 1978 - With the Yankees a game ahead and one to play‚ Cleveland's Rick Waits stops New York on 5 hits to win 9-2. Meanwhile‚ Boston takes their finale‚ their 8th in a row‚ on Luis Tiant's 5-0 shutout of the Blue Jays. Boston has two unearned runs in the 5th‚ a two-run homer by Rick Burleson in the 7th‚ and Jim Rice's 46th homer in the 8th for their scoring. Both teams end the season with identical 99-63 records‚ with a one-game playoff to determine the divisional champ.

Aug 10, 1978 - The Red Sox trip the Indians‚ 6-5‚ in 13 innings as Butch Hobson scores the tying run on a bizarre play: He lofts a pop fly behind second base and races around to 2B as 2B Duane Kuiper loses the ball in the sun. Kuiper picks up the ball but bumps into 1B Andre Thornton and the ball rolls towards first base and C Bo Diaz. With Hobson motoring towards 3B‚ Diaz overthrows the base. Hobson‚ having slid into the third‚ picks himself up and races home. The throw from the outfield is in time to Diaz‚ but he can't get the ball out of his glove and a sliding Hobson is home free. A George Scott double and Rick Burleson single then wins the game. Mike Stanley (8-1) picks up the victory.

Aug 3, 1978 - Boston and New York pick up where they left off last night‚ and the Red Sox score 2 runs in the 17th to win‚ 7-5‚ on RBIs by Rick Burleson and Jim Rice. Ex-Yankee Mike Torrez then stops New York‚ 8-1‚ in a rain-shortened game. Jim Rice‚ with only one homer in his last 33 games‚ hits a 3-run shot off Jim Beattie. Fred Lynn cracks a 3 run homer in the 7th and Bob Bailey follows with a shot off the upper deck facade in LF. Boston now leads Milwaukee by 6 games and the Yankees by 8 1/2 games.

Jul 31, 1978 - After scoring just 5 runs in their last 6 games‚ the Red Sox break out with a 9-2 win over the visiting White Sox. It is just the 3rd win for Boston in its last 13 games. Dennis Eckersley (12-4) earns the win‚ scattering 6 hits‚ while Rick Burleson has 3 hits including a bases loaded double.

Jun 17, 1977 - At Boston‚ the Sox jump on Yankee starter Catfish Hunter for 4 first-inning homers as Rick Burleson and Fred Lynn hit leadoff homers and Carlton Fisk‚ and George Scott follow suit later in the inning. Boston adds another homer enroute to an 11-1 win to take over 1st place in the AL East.

Aug 5, 1897 - Duff Cooley gets half of the Philadelphia Nationals 10 hits and 3 of their 5 runs to lead them to a 5-4‚ 12-inning win over New York. Philadelphia infielder Lave Cross makes 15 assists in the game to set a ML record that will stand alone for 85 years. Rick Burleson will match it in 1982 in a 20-inning game.