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04-15-2004, 11:34 PM
SAN FRANCISCO -- Long after Tuesday night's 4-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Dave Burba was explaining to rookie left-hander Chris Capuano how a certain pitch might have been more effective in a certain situation.
Burba, in his 13th Major League season, is the voice of experience in an otherwise youthful clubhouse. He's the oldest player and the one many of the younger pitchers seek for advice.
"I don't consider myself a leader," Burba said. "I think I have a good work ethic and a good frame of mind. I carry myself well and I try to set a good example. I talk to the young guys, but I don't sit down and converse with them.
"If I see something I might say, 'Hey that's not how to do that,' or 'This is the proper way to go about your business.' We all have our own style, so I stay away from telling them how to do something. As far as approaching a hitter or setting up a hitter, I might mention that."
Burba has appeared in 463 Major League games, nearly twice as many as the Brewers starting rotation combined (242).
"It helps having him around because he knows a lot of the hitters and understands the mental part of the game," said Brewers pitcher Ben Ford. "We can rely on him to steer us in the right direction. For the most part, this whole team is young and we want to help each other do things right."
Burba came to the Brewers after signing a minor league contract with them last May and went 1-1 in 17 games. He's made a resurgence with Milwaukee after getting released by both the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers in 2002. He made this year's team after getting invited to Spring Training as a non-roster player.
"I didn't guarantee myself anything, and I knew I still had a lot of work," he said. "I wanted to prove something not just to myself but to my teammates. I still felt I could be a top-notch pitcher and help my team win games. A couple of years ago, I might not have been able to say that. You could have tossed a coin with my bad mechanics. I had to work through that period."
Burba's save on April 8 was his first National League save and his second career save. His first one came June 8, 1991, when he was with the Seattle Mariners. The opponent? The Brewers.
Burba, in his 13th Major League season, is the voice of experience in an otherwise youthful clubhouse. He's the oldest player and the one many of the younger pitchers seek for advice.
"I don't consider myself a leader," Burba said. "I think I have a good work ethic and a good frame of mind. I carry myself well and I try to set a good example. I talk to the young guys, but I don't sit down and converse with them.
"If I see something I might say, 'Hey that's not how to do that,' or 'This is the proper way to go about your business.' We all have our own style, so I stay away from telling them how to do something. As far as approaching a hitter or setting up a hitter, I might mention that."
Burba has appeared in 463 Major League games, nearly twice as many as the Brewers starting rotation combined (242).
"It helps having him around because he knows a lot of the hitters and understands the mental part of the game," said Brewers pitcher Ben Ford. "We can rely on him to steer us in the right direction. For the most part, this whole team is young and we want to help each other do things right."
Burba came to the Brewers after signing a minor league contract with them last May and went 1-1 in 17 games. He's made a resurgence with Milwaukee after getting released by both the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers in 2002. He made this year's team after getting invited to Spring Training as a non-roster player.
"I didn't guarantee myself anything, and I knew I still had a lot of work," he said. "I wanted to prove something not just to myself but to my teammates. I still felt I could be a top-notch pitcher and help my team win games. A couple of years ago, I might not have been able to say that. You could have tossed a coin with my bad mechanics. I had to work through that period."
Burba's save on April 8 was his first National League save and his second career save. His first one came June 8, 1991, when he was with the Seattle Mariners. The opponent? The Brewers.