Burns was in his thirteenth major league season in 1926 when he was named MVP, shining among the AL’s greatest luminaries. Babe Ruth hit more home runs (47 to Burns’s four), but Burns was second to Ruth in RBI, with 114. He tied Hall of Famer Sam Rice for most hits, 216, broke Tris Speaker‘s doubles record with 64, and batted .358.
Burns drove in the winning run for Cleveland in Game Seven of the 1920 WS, but the Indians traded him to Boston in 1921. Burns reciprocated by turning an unassisted triple play against Cleveland in 1923. Somewhat error-prone, he led the AL in that category four of the 12 seasons in which he played over 100 games at first base. Slumping at bat after 1927, he hung on for two final lackluster seasons. He found rejuvenation, though, in the Pacific Coast League, where he played and managed for five more years, hitting .335.
