John Burkett was pitching for the San Francisco Giants when the deal was made to move the team to Tampa Bay back in 1992. As most local baseball fans recall, however, Major League owners voted down the move at the last instant.
Burkett finally found his way to Tampa Bay as a Devil Ray in spring training this season, and his goal was to be the team's fifth starter. But Burkett was released March 29, and he immediately signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves to become their fifth starter and help bolster the Braves' hopes for a return to the World Series this fall.
Burkett started the season in the Braves' bullpen, but he was given an opportunity to start, and his recent performances have been a most pleasant surprise for the team. He may have to join the PBA Tour somewhat later this year than he had planned.
The toll on his right hand from pitching and bowling is readily apparent: Burkett can easily fit his non-throwing left hand into a typical fingertip grip of a bowling ball. But he can't begin to fit his swollen right fingers and thumb into the same ball holes.
"Look at this: My right hand is swollen from bowling and pitching, but my left hand fits fine," Burkett said as he was reminded that in the sport of cricket (from which baseball was derived), the pitchers are known as "bowlers."
"Perhaps I'd be a good cricket player," Burkett joked. "My bowling average is around 225, and my earned run average is about double my bowling average. It hasn't been very good the last couple of years. You need to get batters out by constantly making adjustments against them and showing hitters a different look."
Burkett believes pitching is much more taxing on his body than bowling, and he notes that the mental game also is more challenging in baseball.
"The difference between pitching and bowling is you're facing humans in baseball instead of pieces of wood," he said. "Hitters make counter-adjustments and play mind games against your changes, and they try to outthink you on the other side. The pins don't think, and they don't change from frame to frame. In bowling, you make adjustments to changing lane conditions instead.
"I'm working hard to keep my pitches down and with good movement in the strike zone to make the starts against my competition. Ball control with accuracy is the key to good results in both baseball and bowling."
Burkett claims that even though he is a slow starter in baseball in achieving the pitches he perfects to get the job done, bowling has improved his stamina.
"Bowling has kept me in good physical shape, even though you don't use the same set of muscles as you do for baseball."
The bowling baseball pitcher is an enigma when it comes to domed stadiums because even though he has a better record under domes, he prefers the great outdoors.
"I actually pitch better in domes than I do in outdoor stadiums, and I think that's in my favor," Burkett said. "But I prefer pitching outdoors because it's baseball tradition. As far as domes are concerned, I prefer the new retractable kind instead of the regular domes."
Burkett also would rather bat than be replaced by a designated hitter. But it doesn't matter which league he plays in since he has pitched in both the American and the National.
"I enjoy interleague play because it gives the fans a chance to see the players from the other league, and we get to face them. I feel it should not be done every year so it will stay fresh and the novelty won't wear off. I don't think baseball owners will listen to me, but I believe you should have an interleague season every third year to keep the excitement alive and so people would look forward to it."
Burkett bowled in a PBA event in Dallas last January and cashed by finishing 34th. He was allowed to bowl as an amateur, but since he made money, John will have to become a member to compete with the pros. Thus, he will join the tour this summer as the PBA's newest professional. However, he won't do it full time, despite having five 300 games and several 800 series in competition. He plans to pitch as a regular for the Braves instead and bowl on the tour in the fall after the baseball season concludes.
"When I join the pro bowlers tour, it will be part time instead of as a regular," Burkett said. "Baseball has been my full-time career instead of bowling, and when my pitching days are over, I want to spend more time with my family. Until then, I enjoy being a two-sport athlete."
Syndicated columnist Richard Kolb of Lutz, Fla., is a member of the Bowling Writers Association of America.