There was also an Ed Burns in 1918, Edward James Burns, born Halloween, 1887 in San Francisco, died at age 54 in Monterey, played 321 regular season games plus three World Series games, for the Phillies, as a reserve catcher with no punch at the plate. No dingers.

George Burns played for John McGraw’s Giants who went 71 and 53. He hit .290 with a team-leading four home runs during the dead-ball era. (The NL leader hand only eight — Babe Ruth of Boston Red Sox lead the league or tied for title with 11 while also winning 13 games on the mound).

The other George Burns played for the Philadelphia A’s as a first baseman who hit six home runs for a mediocrity of a Connie Mack squad. He came in second (behind Cobb) with a blistering .352 clip — lot of cheese in his steak sandwich that year. Or a lot of Tioga, as the case may be. (I’m actually writing this near Tioga Court, near Cubberley High. I had a friend who grew up there, D_, who played varsity soccer for Stanford and was tragically and mysteriously killed in a mugging at the New York subway, during Final Fours in 1990, if you excuse the digression; getting to: not sure what Tioga means or why George Henry Burns had that sobriquet unless, like the Chrissy Hynde Pretenders song, there is a Tioga falls near Niles Ohio. TK

for “Collegiate” Ed Burns

Say good night, Ed

“Good night Ed”