Ellis Burks: The Fifth Bomber

Denver — Longtime fans of the Colorado Rockies look back on the 19990’s with many fond memories, most of which revolve around a group of men known as the Blake Street Bombers. Larry Walker, Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, and Andres Galarraga became household names, and in Denver they still are. But there was a fifth Bomber just as there was a fifth Beatle, and his name is Ellis Burks.

Burks played four-and-a-half seasons in the Colorado outfield from 1994-1998, earning his spot in the middle of the lineup alongside those other names. He put up some gaudy numbers, posting a .303 batting average and hammering 111 home runs during that stretch. In 1996, he hit .344/.408/.639, launching 40 home runs, pacing Major League Baseball in runs, slugging, and total bases, finishing third in MVP voting.

For those inclined to dismiss Burks’ accomplishments by noting that pre-humidor Coors Field was arguably the greatest environment for offense in the modern game, the handy wRC+ stat reminds us that when you account for that and compare him even to the overall inflated numbers of the 90s, Burks was still well above the average. His 151 rWC+ in ’96 means that he was 51 percent better than average, regardless of ballpark. The 128 mark he posted in his time with the Rockies was just barely over his career 125 average.

For comparison, Nolan Arenado posted a 119 wRC+ last season while blasting 42 bombs, so a 125 career average is nothing to sneeze at.

Interestingly, Burks only posted two below average seasons based on wRC+, once in 1991 finishing with a 98 in Boston and the very final year of his career in 2004, which was an 11 game sample size back with the Red Sox worth throwing out.

No matter what stat you look at, Ellis Burks was a great offensive player and a Blake Street Bomber to his core. “Yeah, he was,” says friend, former teammate, and current Rockies manager Walt Weiss in a BSN exclusive interview. “He belongs with those guys.”

Had he stayed healthy, Burks might have had a Hall-Of-Fame career.

“I’ll tell you what, that year (’96) was incredible,” continued Weiss. “And the other thing people don’t realize because later in his career Ellis had a lot of injuries, leg injuries, but earlier he was one of the fastest guys in the game. He could fly. He was a power/speed guy who could defend. Played a long time. He held on a while being productive at the end. He was a great clubhouse presence. A first class guy. Very well respected in the game. What a great career he had.”

Weiss told me that Burks was among the first people he wanted to bring back into the Rockies organization when he was brought in as manager. He praised all the intangibles that Burks brings now as a Special Assistant to the team and noted that his experience as a former player in this nuanced environment can be invaluable.

It’s great to see the Rockies more fully embracing their history and reaching out to people like Burks who have countless qualities to offer. Weiss’ similar relationship with pitching coach Darren Holmes has already started to show value in the early turnarounds of Chad Bettis, Jon Gray, and Eddie Butler.

Weiss reminds me that this game can create bonds and families in some of the strangest ways, reflecting on his first interaction with Burks:

“I was in Oakland, in the ALCS, in 1990 he was playing for Boston and slid into second and took me out. I had to have knee surgery and miss the World Series.”

You didn’t Rougned Odor him? I asked.

“It was clean,” laughed Weiss, “I remember it was a late feed, I tried to stay in there and turn it but I probably should have just taken it like a first baseman. Ellis was arriving right about the same time, my spikes were in the ground and … yeah, he got me, man. I always give him a hard time about that. We’re really close friends now. When we both came to Colorado that was the ice breaker. He feels bad anytime anyone brings it up to him now.”

And after having gone separate ways once their playing days were done, the two friends have been reunited behind the task of turning this Rockies franchise into a great one. Weiss describes Burks’ role as one of mentor, and for the parade of promising young prospects currently in the system, that role could prove to be a vital one.

Now, Ellis Burks has his focus on how to get the most out of the next generation, but the next time someone asks about the last generation — and specifically the era of the Blake Street Bombers — remember to tell them that there were five of them.