Image from Old Judge card set	Ernie Burch Born: September 9, 1856 Died: October 12, 1892 Goto Baseball Reference for Ernie Burch lf Majors: Yes
	St. Louis Position: lf First game: April 28, 1888 Last game: June 20, 1888 # of games: 39	Signed by St. Louis in early February, 1888. Released by the Whites on June 24, 1888 when the club folded and returned to his ranch in Oklahoma. SABR biography for Ernie Burch

Ernie Burch was one of the few players on the St. Louis Whites with significant major league experience prior to joining the Whites. He made his major league debut in 1884 with Cleveland in the National League, and then in 1886 and 1887 played with Brooklyn in the American Association. He was signed by Tom Loftus in February of 1888, one of the last players signed by the Whites prior to spring training. He appeared in every game for the Whites, playing left field and batting cleanup.

Burch was born on a farm in DeKalb County, Illinois, in 1892, the fourth child of Afred and Lydia Burch. After growing up in Illinois, he moved to Colorado before 1880, when he worked as a broommaker in San Anonio, located in the San Luis valley. In 1882, Burch played centerfield for the Denver Browns, and he may also have played for the Leadville Blues. In 1883, he went back to Illinois to play for the Peoria Reds. He returned to Colorado during the off-season, and in 1884 once more signed with Peoria. In mid-August, he joined Cleveland in the National League after Peoria (and the league to which it belonged) folded. Burch made his major league debut on August 15, 1884. He finished the season with Cleveland, playing in 32 games.

Burch played with Kansas City in the Western League and Washington in the Eastern League in 1885, hitting .336 betwene the two clubs. This earned him a place back in the major leagues with Brookklyn in 1886. He played the full season, 113 games, hitting .261. In 1887, he was hitting .293 in 50 games when he ws cut suddenly in July. It was later reported that he was released because he was focusing too much energy on a ranch he owned out west and not enough energy on playing baseball. Following his release, he signed with St. Paul, for who he finished the season.

After the Whites disbanded, Burch went back to his ranch. He came back to professional baseball in 1890 and 1891, playing with the club in Peoria. He died in 1892 at the age of 36 in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Date	Pos	AB	R	BH	2B	3B	HR	SB	PO	A	E	BB	HPB	K
4-28-1888	lf	5	3	2		1		0	2	0	0
5-1-1888	lf	6	0	1				1	4	0	0			1
5-2-1888	lf	4	0	1				0	2	0	0			1
5-3-1888	lf	5	1	1				1	5	0	2
5-6-1888	lf	4	0	1				1	1	0	0			1
5-7-1888	lf	5	0	0				0	5	1	3
5-8-1888	lf	4	3	1				1	0	0	0		1	1
5-9-1888	lf	4	0	1				0	1	0	0			2
5-10-1888	lf	5	1	1		1		0	3	0	0			1
5-12-1888	lf	4	0	0				0	2	0	0
5-13-1888	lf	4	0	1				0	2	0	0			1
5-15-1888	lf	4	0	1				0	1	1	1			1
5-18-1888	lf	4	2	2				1	4	0	0
5-19-1888	lf	4	0	0				0	4	0	2
5-20-1888	lf	4	0	0				0	1	0	0
5-22-1888	lf	5	2	1				2	0	0	0
5-23-1888	lf	3	0	0				1	4	0	0	1
5-25-1888	lf	4	1	1	1			0	1	0	0			2
5-26-1888	lf	5	2	2		1		0	1	1	0
5-27-1888	lf	5	0	0				0	0	1	0
5-27-1888	lf	3	2	1				1	2	0	0	1
5-29-1888	lf	4	0	0				0	3	0	0			1
5-30-1888	lf	4	1	1				2	1	1	0	1
5-30-1888	lf	4	0	2	1			0	3	0	1			2
5-31-1888	lf	4	1	2				2	2	0	0
6-1-1888	lf	4	0	1				0	3	0	0
6-2-1888	lf	4	1	0				0	0	0	0
6-5-1888	lf	5	1	1	1			0	0	0	0
6-6-1888	lf	4	0	0				0	2	1	0
6-8-1888	lf	3	1	0				0	3	0	0	1
6-9-1888	lf	2	0	1				0	1	0	0
6-10-1888	lf	4	0	0				0	1	1	0
6-12-1888	lf	4	2	1				1	3	0	0	1
6-13-1888	lf	3	0	1				1	1	0	0	1
6-15-1888	lf	3	1	1	1			0	1	0	0	2
6-16-1888	lf	4	0	0				0	2	0	0	1		1
6-17-1888	lf	3	1	0				0	2	0	0	1
6-19-1888	lf	4	1	1	1			0	1	0	0			1
6-20-1888	lf	5	0	2				0	1	0	0
39 Games		159	27	32	5	3	0	15	75	7	9	10	1	16