Chris Burke

Christopher Allen Burke

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.
• School University of Tennessee
• High School St. Xavier High School
• Debut July 4, 2004
• Final Game June 7, 2009
• Born March 11, 1980 in Louisville, KY USA

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Biographical Information

Chris Burke's one shining moment in MLB came when he struck an 18th-inning walk-off home run in Game 4 of the 2005 NLDS against the Atlanta Braves to send the Houston Astros to the NLCS. Ordinarily a utility player, his 2-for-3 (both XBH) in the Division Series bought him 20 at-bats in the League Championship Series, where he hit 6-for-20 with a triple, a home run and 3 RBI as the Astros marched to their first World Series. There, Chris was a non-factor (0-for-5, 1 run scored) in a series sweep by the Chicago White Sox.

Burke was the seventh player in history to hit a walk-off home run that ended a postseason series:

• 1960 WS Bill Mazeroski;
• 1976 ALCS Chris Chambliss;
• 1993 WS Joe Carter;
• 1999 NLDS Todd Pratt;
• 2003 ALCS Aaron Boone;
• 2004 ALDS David Ortiz;
• 2005 NLDS Chris Burke;
• 2006 ALCS Magglio Ordonez;
• 2014 NLCS Travis Ishikawa;
• 2019 ALCS José Altuve.

He was signed by scout Danny Watkins as a first rounder in the 2001 amateur draft out of the University of Tennessee. Chris reached the big leagues in 2004 and enjoyed his finest season playing all over the diamond in 2006, batting .276/.347/.418 in 123 games and 366 at bats. He struggled the next year and slid out of the big leagues after 32 games with the San Diego Padres in 2009.

He later turned to announcing, contributing on the microphone at the 2012, 2014 and 2017 CWS Regionals, the 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, and 2023 CWS Super Gegionals and the 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022 College World Series for ESPN. He also worked the 2015 Little League World Series, also on ESPN.

Related Sites

• Chris Burke's Official Fan Forum