Tom Burns

Thomas Everett Burns (March 30, 1857 – March 19, 1902) was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball, primarily for the Chicago White Stockings/Colts/Orphans. He also played for, and managed, the Pittsburgh Pirates for part of one season, and he returned to the Chicago team for two years as its manager after his major-league playing career ended. In the last few years of his life, Burns managed in the minor leagues. He died of heart problems in New Jersey at the age of 44. His brother, John Burns, was a National League umpire. Early life and playing career Burns was born in 1857 in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. He joined the Chicago team in the National League (then known as the White Stockings) in 1880. A nondrinker and nonsmoker, Burns stayed on the good side of Chicago manager Cap Anson because of his tame lifestyle. He sported a red handlebar mustache during his playing career. From 1883 to 1889, Burns was part of a Chicago infield combination that manager Cap Anson described as a "stonewall infield". Some sportswriters also picked up the term, even though several infields had better fielding statistics. Burns led the league in putouts and assists multiple times. Chicago won league pennants in 1885 and 1886.