Former Dodgers Infielder Dies

Larry Burright went to high school and college in Southern California, attending high school in Alhambra and college in Fullerton. When his career in professional baseball ended, he retired to Glendora and worked as a carpenter.

As a teenager, Burright could not have known that the Brooklyn Dodgers were plotting a move to the West Coast when he signed his first professional contract in 1957. As it was, Burright — who died Tuesday at age 88 — enjoyed a brief stint as a hometown hero for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1962, the franchise's first year playing out of Dodger Stadium.

Burright was born in Roseville, located in west-central Illinois not far from the Iowa border, but his family moved to Southern California during his childhood. He was a multi-sport start at Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, not far from the Dodgers' future home in Chavez Ravine.

While Burright's older brother took his basketball talents to San Bernardino Valley College, the younger Burright chose Fullerton College and played both baseball and basketball.

In 1957, Burright signed his first professional contract with the then-Brooklyn Dodgers, and was assigned to Class C Great Falls of the Pioneer League. He finished his first professional season with the Class D Thomasville (Ga.) Dodgers.

In spring training one year, Burright was given the nickname "Possum." He later said that teammates Tim Harkness and Duke Snider bestowed the moniker "because I was always smiling but had little to say."

It took five years, but Burright climbed the Dodgers' minor league ladder all the way to the majors. His first major league game, a pinch-running appearance against the Cincinnati Reds on April 12, 1962, was only the third game ever played at Dodger Stadium.

Burright played 115 games as a rookie, hitting .205 with four home runs and 30 RBIs in 276 plate appearances. Dodgers manager Walter Alston mostly used Burright off the bench.

The Dodgers would go on to win 102 games in 1962. Their talented second baseman (Jim Gilliam) and shortstop (Maury Wills) effectively blocked Burright from more playing time at his natural positions.

After the season, the Dodgers traded Burright to the New York Mets in exchange for pitcher Bob Miller on Nov. 30, 1962. Miller would become an integral part of the 1963 pitching staff that helped the Dodgers win the World Series, while Burright's career wound down quickly.

The Mets shuffled Burright between Queens and Triple-A Buffalo over the next two years. He played only 44 major league games from 1963-64 in all. In June 1965, after two months with the Mets' top farm team, Burright abruptly retired in the middle of the season.

According to Dodgers team historian Mark Langill, Burright retired to nearby Glendora and went into carpentry after his playing career ended. He was a regular at Dodgers reunions, including a 40th anniversary of Dodger Stadium celebration on Opening Day 2002.

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