Milwaukee’s Best, Part 3: The 50 Best To Play For Braves, Brewers: 30-21

Jeromy Burnitz, as shown on a 2001 Topps Gold Label baseball card.

25. Jeromy Burnitz, RF

Brewers 1996-2001

The Brewers acquired Jeromy Burnitz in a rare one-for-one swap in August 1996, sending first baseman Kevin Seitzer to the Cleveland Indians.

He was a solid pickup.

Burnitz was an All-Star for Milwaukee in 1999 and topped the 30-homer mark for four straight seasons from 1998-2001, driving in a career-best 125 runs in 1998.

He was typical of many sluggers of his era—a high-power, high-strikeout guy.

He was eighth in the American League in triples and ninth in slugging in 1997 and was fifth in the National League in RBI and sixth in homers in 1998 after Milwaukee switched leagues.

Burnitz left Milwaukee in January 2002 as part of a three-team deal. The Brewers sent Burnitz, right-hander Jeff D’Amico, utilityman Lou Collier and outfielder Mark Sweeney to the New York Mets, while getting back utiltyman Lenny Harris and left-hander Glendon Rusch from the Mets and outfielder Alex Ochoa from the Colorado Rockies.

Burnitz would be traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July 2003 and would later sign with the Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates before going unsigned and retiring after the 2006 campaign.

The Brewers had actually drafted Burnitz in 1987 out of Conroe (Texas) High School, but he didn’t sign and was later the 17th overall pick in 1990 out of Oklahoma State University by the Mets. He was traded to Cleveland in November 1994.

Here are Burnitz’s statistics from his six seasons with the Brewers:

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/19/2015.

Next: 24. Like Father, Like Son ... As Far As Slugging Goes