EL1 Binghamton Rumble Ponies

2011 Binghamton Baseball Shrine Induction Set for Friday

Published on August 31, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Binghamton Rumble Ponies News Release


BINGHAMTON, NY - The Binghamton Mets, in conjunction with the Binghamton Baseball Shrine Committee, are proud to announce the Class of 2011 to be inducted prior to the B-Mets 7:05 PM game with the Reading Phillies Friday, September 2. Binghamton Triplets pitcher Wallace "Wally" Burnette, Brooklyn Superbas outfielder Harry G. "Judge" Lumley and sports columnist emeritus John W. Fox compose the 2011 class, which will join the previous 52 inductees.

Burnette was a star right-handed pitcher for the Binghamton Triplets in 1953. He set the Eastern League record for wins in a season with 21 and would go on to record two more wins in the postseason. His 2.10 ERA during the 1953 campaign was the second-best earned run average in the league behind teammate and fellow Binghamton Baseball Shrine inductee Steve Kraly. Burnette started the championship clinching game for the Triplets, but was pulled from the game before he could qualify for the win. The Blairs, VA native played three years in the Major Leagues for the Kansas City Athletics and tallied a 14-21 mark and a 3.56 ERA over 68 appearances. Shoulder problems brought his illustrious career to an end in 1958. He passed away in 2003 from lung cancer.

Lumley played seven seasons in the Major Leagues for the Brooklyn Superbas. He was drafted by Brooklyn in 1904 after playing in the independent leagues with the Seattle franchise. In his rookie season, he led the National League in home runs and triples. Over a five-year span from 1904-08, he led all National League hitters in home runs and triples, besting National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Honus Wagner, who was third to Lumley. In 1906, Lumley and Wagner finished first and second, respectively, in slugging percentage. Lumley's family moved to Lestershire, NY, now known as Johnson City, when he was a child. After serving as Brooklyn's manager in 1909, he moved home to serve as a player/manager for Binghamton's professional baseball team, the New York State League's Bingoes. He served in this capacity until 1912. After his baseball career ended, Lumley operated the Terminal Café, a pub at 49 Henry Street, nearby the current home of Binghamton's professional baseball club, NYSEG Stadium. He passed away in 1938 at the age of 57 and is interred at Johnson City's Floral Avenue Cemetery.

Fox has been a household name in the Greater Binghamton area for over 50 years as a highly respected print journalist. After graduating from Syracuse University in 1949, Fox took a job as a sports reporter for the Binghamton Press. In his first year on the job, he covered Whitey Ford's dominant season as ace of the Binghamton Triplets pitching staff. To cover Ford and the Triplets, Fox would daily climb up to the Johnson Field press box via a creaky ladder and a slanted roof walk. So began over 60 years of coverage of baseball and other sports in the area for the Binghamton Press and eventually the Press & Sun Bulletin. Fox's style was typified by his attention to detail, use of statistics and short narratives of interesting and amusing incidents. He retired from print media in 2010. Fox still prides himself on baseball research, particularly in reference to Binghamton's storied past. He is still seen frequently at NYSEG Stadium taking in a B-Mets game with his wife.

The Binghamton Baseball Shrine was created by the Binghamton Mets Baseball Club and area baseball enthusiasts in 1993 to honor individuals that have made significant contributions to professional baseball and either lived or performed in the region.

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Eastern League Stories from August 31, 2011


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