Joe Burg

Joseph Peter Burg

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 143 lb.

• Debut September 26, 1910
• Final Game October 12, 1910
• Born June 4, 1882 in Chicago, IL USA
• Died April 28, 1969 in Joliet, IL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Joe Burg hit quite well for the Boston Doves in 1910 but made 6 errors in 12 games at third base (along with 2 in his only game at shortstop). In the minors in 1910, he played shortstop and was lauded for his range, despite a lower fielding percentage [1]. Buck Herzog was the regular Boston third baseman in 1910, hitting .250, and would continue to play the position in 1911 until traded in July. After the majors, Burg played in Milwaukee, San Francisco, and Omaha (and perhaps elsewhere). While there are two major leaguers (through 2019) with the last name Berg, he is the only one with the last name Burg.

An article in the Baltimore Sun claims that Joe - called by his middle name Peter in the article - was actually five feet one inches tall, and that the 5' 10" listing was a typo. That, according to the article, would make Joe/Peter Burg the shortest player in major league history other than Eddie Gaedel. [2] This is a mistake, as Joe's brother, Petie Burg, whose first name happened to be Joe's middle name, was actually the short player in question [3] [4] [5].