Burdette

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — Lew Burdette, MVP of the 1957 World Series when he pitched the Milwaukee Braves to their only championship, died Tuesday. He was 80.

Burdette had been ill for an extended period with lung cancer. Family members were with him when he died at home, they told the Atlanta Braves.

A two-time All-Star and a member of the Braves' Hall of Fame, Burdette was 203-144 with a 3.66 ERA from 1950-67. He also pitched a no-hitter.

Burdette's greatest success came in the 1957 Series when he went 3-0 with an 0.67 ERA while pitching three complete games against the New York Yankees. He capped his performance with a seven-hit shutout in Game 7 at Yankee Stadium, finishing off a run of 24 straight scoreless innings.

"I have a boatload of memories about Lew Burdette," commissioner Bud Selig told The Associated Press by telephone from Milwaukee, where he grew up rooting for the Braves. "I think what I remember most was that he was a tremendous competitor. He pitched in pain, he pitched to win.

"Winning that Game 7 at Yankee Stadium, 5-0, Eddie Mathews fielding Moose Skowron's smash and stepping on third base for the final out. What a day that was," he said. "I kept in touch with him. He came back here quite a lot. The last time I saw him was at Warren Spahn's funeral."

Burdette started his career with the Yankees and was traded to the Boston Braves for Johnny Sain during the 1951 season. He also spent time with the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and California.

The righty led the NL with 21 wins in 1959, ERA (2.70) in 1956 and twice led the league in shutouts. He pitched a no-hitter against the Phillies on Aug. 18, 1960, and was the winning pitcher in a famous game in which the Pirates' Harvey Haddix lost a perfect game in the 13th inning — Burdette went all 13 innings for the victory.

Born Selva Lewis Burdette Jr. in Nitro, W.Va., he was called both "Lew" and "Lou." He was 179-120 in 13 seasons for the Braves. He was Atlanta's pitching coach in 1972-73.