Page 15 - 1975 BoSox

8 ’75—THE RED SOX TEAM THAT SAVED BASEBALL
Burleson said he would test the free-agent market if the club did not sign him by the winter meetings.15 General manager Haywood Sullivan said that if he did not know by World Series time that he could sign Burleson, he would trade him to avoid any more disruption to the team. e Red Sox were o ering about $2.1 million over six years, while Burleson was asking for about twice that amount. Adding to the confusion in Boston was the fact that Lynn and Fisk were in similar contractual situations with manage- ment. Finally, on December 10 the Red Sox traded Burleson and Hobson to the California Angels for in elder Carney Lansford, pitcher Mark Clear, and out elder Rick Miller. Before a grievance hearing with the Angels regarding some contractual issues, John Strege reported in e Sporting News of April 4, 1981 that Burleson had agreed to a six-year, $4.65 million deal that made him the highest paid shortstop in baseball history.
Burleson got o to a great start in 1981, but in May Angels manager Jim Fregosi was red and replaced by Gene Mauch. After a midseason strike by the players union, the Angels, in the so-called second
season, failed miserably, at one point losing 14 of 15 games. As usual, Burleson led by example, batting in the .300s, but the Angels did not qualify for the play- o s. For his e orts, Burleson was named to e Sporting News American League All-Star team, batting .293 in 109 games, and also was named the Angels’ Most Valuable Player for the season.
At the start of the 1982 season, Burleson su ered a rotator cu injury to his right shoulder, e ectively ending his season and putting his career in jeopardy. e week before his injury, the Rooster had set a record for the most assists by a shortstop in a game (17 in a 20-inning contest). After undergoing surgery, Burleson vowed that he would do all he could to return. But, as of November, seven months after his surgery, he had yet to pick up a ball. Part of the problem was that some of his shoulder muscles had atrophied and had to be strengthened.
Even the usually optimistic Burleson questioned whether he would be able to be in the 1983 Opening Day lineup. At the beginning of spring training, Burleson felt that he was throwing at “about 45 percent,”and had every intention of being an integral part of the team, whether he was a starter or a utility player.16 New manager John McNamara expressed con dence in Burleson’s return, saying, “If he’s OK, he’s our shortstop.”17 Peter Gammons wrote, “One thing to remember. Never bet against Rick Burleson.”18 Burleson went to Triple-A Edmonton to get back into playing shape. His determination and persever- ance paid o handsomely, as he returned to the Angels’ active roster and had two or more hits in each of his rst seven games while making only one error. Despite Burleson’s heroics, the Angels oundered because of a combination of poor play and injuries. Although Burleson went back on the 15-day disabled list with sti ness in his right shoulder, he batted .286 in 33 games.
Entering spring training in 1984, the jury was still out on how much Burleson could contribute to the Angels’ cause. To compensate for his shoulder, he started to position himself di erently to reduce the lengths of his throws. e discovery of another tear in his right shoulder, however, dealt a serious blow to his comeback