Burle, Mark

Burle was born in St. Charles , Missouri . In the northern high school, Francis Howell Burle twice, in the first and second years of training, was not accepted into the baseball team and almost ended his career, believing that he could not get into the college team ^[2] . After high school, Mark entered Jefferson College in Hillsboro , where he signed the , joined the baseball team, and was first noticed by scouts. ^[2] After the first year of college in 1998, Burle in the 38th round was drafted by the Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball organization ^[3] . The pitcher did not immediately sign the contract, preferring to first go through a thorough program of off-season training and continuing to play for college, increasing his skills and attracting attention before the 1999 draft ^[2] . "Chicago" did not want to lose the opportunity to negotiate with Burle if he had nominated himself for a second draft, and proposed a contract that was accepted by the player on May 21, 1999 ^{[2] [4]} .

In 1999, the pitcher began his professional career with the White Sox. Until the end of the year, he played 20 matches for the Class A A Burlington Biz team, won seven victories and suffered four defeats with an ERA of 4.10, made 91 strikeouts and played one full game , making a shutout in it ^[5] .

The following year, Burle continued to perform at a high level. He moved to Class AA, where he played 118⅔ inning for sixteen matches for the Birmingham Barons, won eight and lost four matches, making 68 strikeouts with an ERA of 2.28 and only 17 losses ^[6] . This season, the player was named the most valuable pitcher of the year in the Southern League ^[7] and won the youth All-Star Futures Game ^[8] .

Burle played 36 games in the lower leagues before getting into the main team of the White Sox.

Chicago White Sox

Early career (2000-2004)

Bürle made his debut in Major League Baseball on July 16, 2000 , playing one inning as a Religious Pitcher against Milwaukee Brewers and wounding ^[9] . Three days later, the pitcher earned his first victory by playing seven innings in a match against Minnesota Twins , allowing six hits and two wounds. ^[10] In total, in the 2000 season, Bürle won 51⅓ inning for 28 games, making 37 strikeouts with an ERA of 4.21 ^[11] .

In the first full season, Burle played 32 games, in all starting in the starting lineup, he won 16 and lost 8 games with an ERA of 3.29, making 126 strikeouts in 221⅓ inning ^[12] . In the period from May 26 to June 7, he played 24⅔ dry inning, the largest number after 25⅔ dry inning of Alex Fernandez in 1993 ^{[13] [14]} . On May 26, the pitcher played the first full game in the league, preventing a single wound from Detroit Tigers baseball players in it ^[15] . Burle also played two consecutive full games, on August 3 and 8, against the Tampa Bay Devil Flight , allowing only one hit ^[16] , and the Los Angeles Angels from Anaheim , allowing one wound ^[17] .

In 2002, Bürle scored 16 victories and suffered 12 defeats, and at the end of the season he was among the leaders of the American League for held innings (239, 2nd), games at the start (34, shares 2nd place), full games (5 , divides the 2nd place), shutouts (2, divides the 2nd place) and victories (19, divides the 4th place) ^[18] . The pitcher played at least 6 innings in 30 games and at least 8 in eleven ^[19] . Burle took part in the All-Star Game, which took place on July 9 in Milwaukee, playing 2 innings and allowing one wound ^[20] . FOX Sports Net Chicago recognized the pitcher as the White Sox player of the year.

The next season, the pitcher played the largest number of games so far in the season - 35, won 14 victories and suffered the same defeats, made 119 strikeouts in the 230⅓ innings and suffered 124 wounds ^[21] .

At the end of the 2004 season, Burle excelled among American League pitchers in the number of innings played (245⅓) and in games played in the starting lineup (35). He was also one of the leaders in terms of the number of full games (4th, 4th), victories (16, shares 6th place), ERA (3.89, 8th) and strikeouts (165, 9th) ^{[ 22]} . In 33 of the 35 games played, the pitcher spent at least six innings on the hill ^[23] . On July 21, in the match against Cleveland Indians , Burle was opposed by the smallest possible number of opponent team batter in one full game - 27; Mark made two hits and scored a shutout in a match that ended with the victory of “Chicago” 14: 0 ^[24] .

2005-2008

In the first half of the 2005 season, Burle played 18 games, scored 10 wins and suffered 3 defeats with ERA of 2.58 and WHIP 1.11 ^[25] . On April 16, the pitcher played a full game against the Seattle Mariners in just 1 hour and 39 minutes, throwing 106 pitches, allowing 1 wound and 3 hits (all in favor of Itiro Suzuki ). The game, which ended with the victory of “Chicago” thanks to two wounds by Paul Konerko , without taking into account the time between innings, lasted only 63.5 minutes ^[26] . On July 12, Burle took part in the All-Star Game for the second time in his career, leaving the starting lineup after Roy Halliday 's injury, spent two innings, made 3 strikeouts and won the match ^[27] . On August 1, the pitcher's series of 49 consecutive matches was interrupted with at least six innings played, after Burle hit the Baltimore Orioles batter for a third of the inning before the series continued and was removed from the field by an empire ^[28] . The pitcher completed the regular season with the best percentage of wins and losses (16–8, 66.7%) and an ERA of 3.12 ^[29] . In the second match of the American League final series, Burle played a full game against the Angels ^[30] , the first of four consecutive full games played by Chicago pitchers. In the World Series, Burle went to the pitcher’s hill twice: in the second match as a starting point and in the third as a religion pitcher , having earned his first in his career in the last match and, thus, becoming the first pitcher in the history of the series, which appeared in start and made a save in two games in a row ^[31] . The White Sox beat Houston Astros in four matches and won the World Series for the first time since 1917 ^[31] .

On May 14, 2006, Bürle became the second pitcher in League history to have suffered seven wounds in the first inning, but then won the game ^[32] . For the second year in a row, an American was called to the All-Star Game, but did not take part in this game ^[33] . On October 30, Chicago used the option to extend the contract with the pitcher, according to which Burle earned $ 9.5 million in the 2007 season ^[34] . For the only time in his career, Bürle completed the season with more defeats than wins (12–13) and the worst ERA (4.99) ^[35] .

On April 18, 2007, Bürle played a know-how game against the Texas Rangers - the sixteenth know-how in the history of Chicago and the first in the new US Cellular Field, which opened in 1991. The only walk in the fifth inning cost the pitcher the perfect game. Burle threw 106 pitches, made 8 strikeouts and resisted the minimum number of butterflies in a full game ^{[36] [37]} . On July 8, the reliever extended the contract with Chicago for four years, according to which he would earn $ 56 million ^[38] . In the season, Burle played 30 matches, won 10 victories and suffered 9 defeats, in the 201 inning he made 161 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.63 ^[39] .

Burle finished the year 2008 with fifteen wins and twelve defeats, an ERA of 3.79, having won more than 200 innings (218⅔) for the eighth consecutive year in his career ^[40] .

2009—2011

On June 14, 2009, Bürle made a home run for the first time in his career against Milwaukee Brewers ^[41] . A month later, the pitcher was selected for the third time in his career to participate in the All-Star Game. He played the third inning, which became perfect ^{[42] [43]} .

July 23, 2009, Mark Burle, in the Chicago White Sox home arena, US Cellular Field played a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Flight , which became the eighteenth in Major League Baseball history and the second know-how in the player’s career ^{[44] [45]} . Burle became the 24th pitcher in league history, throwing two know-how and sixth, playing know-how and perfect games (after Sai Young , Aiddy Joss , Jim Bunning , Sandy Cowfax and Randy Johnson ). In the ninth inning, the White Sox centerfielder “stole” a home run from Gabe Kepler, climbing the wall and catching the ball, thus preserving the chances of a perfect game. The pitcher became the third player in the league (after Young and Koufax) to drop the know-hitter, play the perfect game and win the World Series with one team.

In the next match, July 28, Burle put out the first seventeen butterflies, setting a league record, putting 45 butterters out in a row ^[46] . This record was broken five years later by San Francisco Giants pitcher Yusimero Petit , who put out 46 butterflies in a row ^[47] . July 30, 2009 was announced by the Governor of Illinois Pat Quinn “Mark Burle Day” ^[48] , and before the match against the New York Yankees , the reliever was awarded a commemorative plaque. In September, Sporting News called the perfect Buerle game a performance of the decade ^[49] . In November, the reliever won his first American Gold Glove Award ^[50] . In the season, the player played 33 matches, scored thirteen wins with ten defeats, and made 105 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.84 ^[51] .

April 5, 2010 Burle eighth time in his career left in the starting lineup on the "Opening Day", setting a franchise record ^{[52] [53]} . He played 7 innings, making a shutout in them and bringing Chicago victory ^[54] . This game was also remembered for his incredible transfer of the ball with one touch between the legs to first base in the fifth inning ^[55] . On August 3, the pitcher defeated the Detroit Tigers ^[56] ; this victory marked ten consecutive seasons with ten or more victories in each of them. Burle finished the season with 33 games played, 13 of which he won and lost the same, made 99 strikeouts with an ERA of 4.28 ^[57] and won the Golden Glove prize ^{[58] for the} second time in a row, thus becoming the first player who threw more than one know-hitter and won more than one Golden Glove in his career.

Last season in Chicago, Burle played 31 games, won 13 and lost 9 matches, made 109 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.59 ^[59] and won the American League's Golden Glove for the third time in a row ^[60] .

Miami Marlins

2012

On December 7, 2011, Burle signed a four-year $ 58 million contract with the Miami Marlins ^[61] . The pitcher lost his debut match against the Cincinnati Reds , having conceded 7 hits and two wounds in six innings. ^[62] On May 5, the American played his only full game for the Marlins against the San Diego Padres , winning and wounding one ^[63] . For the only season spent in the National League, Burle played 31 matches with an equal indicator of victory — defeat (13–13) ^[64] . For the fourth time in a row, the pitcher won the Golden Glove Award ^[65] . For the twelfth consecutive season in his career, Burle played more than 30 games and spent more than 200 innings.

Toronto Blue Jays

2013 - n. at.

November 19, 2012 Burle became part of a major exchange between the Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays ^[66] . On February 5, manager John Gibbons announced the order of pitchers for the season in which Burle was ranked third ^[67] . On July 25, the pitcher played the first full game and scored the first shutout for Toronto in the game against the Houston Astros , allowing two hits and two walks ^[68] . The 4-0 victory allowed the Canadian team to interrupt a series of seven losses in a row ^[69] . On August 25, Burle won the tenth game of the season, extending his series of at least ten victories in a year to 13 consecutive seasons. This victory allowed to interrupt the second series of seven defeats in a row ^[70] . On September 21, in a game against the Boston Red Sox , the reliever extended his other series to 13 consecutive seasons - out of 200 played innings. In the 2013 season, Bürle played 33 matches with an ERA of 4.15 ^[71] . The pitcher also took second place in the vote for the Golden Glove Award, which was eventually won by his teammate Robert Allen Dickey ^[72] .

Burle began the 2014 season with four straight wins and an ERA of 0.64 ^[73]. On June 1, defeating Kansas City Royals , the American became the first pitcher to win ten games of the season ^[74] .

In his innings, Burle uses fastball , curvball , chang-up , slider and cutter . Mark prefers cunning and accuracy to speed. Bürle also forces the butterflies to knock out line drives, make ground and fly outs. Despite the small number of strikeouts, he is considered a contact and effective pitcher, trying to make fast feeds, by all means reducing their number ^[75] . On average, an American spends 15.8 seconds between two throws, which is 2.1 seconds faster than any other reliever ^[76] . Beginning in 2007, when the countdown between innings began, the maximum value for Burle was 18.1 seconds ^[76] .

Burle has a wife, Jamie, and two children: son Braden, born July 26, 2007, and daughter Brooklyn, born March 3, 2009 ^[77] .

On December 5, 2009, Bürle attended an evening organized by the Albert Puchols Charitable Foundation ^[78] . At the auction, the pitcher won the right to become St. Louis Cardinals manager for one day of spring training in 2010. He transferred this right to Mickey Cunningham, a girl with Down Syndrome ^[79] .

Burle's wife, in order to celebrate the perfect game, presented him with a motorcycle assembled to order by Orange County Choppers ^[80] .

Mark and Jamie are well-known animal rights advocates ^[81] ; four dogs live in their house ^[82] . In 2010, the pitcher several times wished injuries to the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Wick, due to the fact that in 2007 the latter organized dog fights ^[81] . After an exchange in Toronto, Burle had to leave one of four dogs, a pit bull , at home, due to the ban on this breed of dog in Ontario ^[82] .

• Performance statistics on MLB , ESPN , Baseball-Reference , Fangraphs , The Baseball Cube , Baseball-Reference (Minors)