Burk Goldthorn

Burk Frank Goldthorn

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 205 lb.

• Born December 19, 1958 in Harlingen, TX USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Burk Goldthorn played six seasons in the minors, reaching AAA.

Goldthorn was the All-Star catcher in the 1981 College World Series. He was again the All-Star catcher in the 1981 Intercontinental Cup, when Team USA topped the Cuban national team to take home the Gold Medal; he also took Gold with the US in the 1981 World Games. Burk was taken by the San Diego Padres in the 5th round of the 1981 amateur draft but did not sign. In the 1982 January secondary draft, he was the #4 overall pick, chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Buck debuted as a pro with the 1982 Alexandria Dukes, hitting .251/.375/.341 with 55 walks in 96 games. He did make 17 errors, leading all Carolina League catchers; he also had 11 double plays, tying for the lead among loop backstops.

In '83, Goldthorn saw limited time with Alexandria (20 for 81, 15 BB, 2B, HR) and the Lynn Sailors (6 for 18, 2B, 2 BB), presumably limited by injury. The next year, he batted .211/.360/.271 for the Nashua Pirates, splitting catching duties with Ruben Rodriguez.

The Texan native was briefly with Nashua in 1985 (2 for 13) but spent most of the year with the Prince William Pirates, hitting .254/~.385/.401 and being named the All-Star catcher. He drew 77 walks, leading the club, and slammed 11 homers, two behind team leader Barry Bonds. His 10 intentional walks led not only the team but the entire Carolina League.

Burk saw limited action for the 1986 Hawaii Islanders (14 for 65, 19 BB, 5 2B, HR), backing up Glenn Brummer at the AAA level. He moved to the Texas Rangers chain for his final season, 1987, which he split between the Tulsa Drillers (.292/~.406/.447) and Oklahoma City 89ers (.259/~.353/.323), going out with a solid last year.

Sources

• Defunct IBAF site
• 1983-1985 and 1987 Baseball Guides
• 1986 Baseball America Statistics Report
• 1988 Baseball Almanac