University of Tennessee Athletics
Burke Makes Major League Debut With Astros
July 08, 2004 | Baseball
July 8, 2004
Former Tennessee All-America Chris Burke made his first start in the major leagues Tuesday night for the Houston Astros in a 5-3 loss at San Diego.
Recently called up from Class AAA New Orleans, where he was hitting .325 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI, Burke went 0-3 in his starting MLB debut. He saw action in last night's 5-1 win over the Padres, but had no official at bat.
"It will be good to get in there and get my feet wet a little bit," Burke told MLB.com. "It's impossible to gain experience unless someone gives you an opportunity to play. And I'm obviously thankful for the opportunity."
Burke, who led the Vols to a third-place finish at the 2001 College World Series, was the No. 10 choice by the Astros in the 2001 MLB draft.
Burke was a two-time All-America at Tennessee and was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 2001.
