Cubs 365, October 16

On this day in 1967, Smoky Burgess was released and retired from baseball. His real name was Forrest Harrill Burgess, but no-one called him that. He was simply Smoky. Old Smoky, who inherited his name from his father, was a five-time National League All-Star. He was a very good catcher, but he became even better known as one of the best pinch hitters of his era. He retired with a record 507 pinch at-bats. Only Manny Mota has more pinch hits.

Unfortunately, none of that happened with the Cubs because they traded him after his second season in the majors (1951) for little remembered Johnny Pramesa and Bob Usher. If he had stayed with the Cubs, he likely would have been their starting catcher for a decade. (Pramesa played 22 games for the Cubs, Usher played 1.)

Smoky always said that his most satisfying pinch hit was his home run off Cubs pitcher Sam Jones with two games left in the 1956 season. The Reds, his team at the time, were going for the record--most home runs by a team in a season. The record was 221, and when Smokey came up to bat, the Reds had 220. Reds manager Chuck Dressen ordered Burgess to pinch hit for Roy McMillan, and said, "Make it a home run - or nothin'!" The ball landed on Sheffield Avenue.

Smoky ended his career as a pinch hitter for the White Sox. That's who released him on this day in 1967. At the time, Smoky was 40 years old.