Burgess gives back to community

Former Hillsborough baseball star Michael Burgess grew up in the same part of Sulfur Springs as ex-Rays outfielder Elijah Dukes and the two are longtime friends. So when Dukes asked Burgess, now a minor leaguer with the Washington Nationals organization, to help out with a holiday gift give-away, he was glad to say “yes.”

“I don’t mind doing stuff for kids,” Burgess said.

The gathering took place Sunday at Tampa’s Macfarlane Park. Burgess and Dukes gave out about 300 gifts – everything from toys to television sets.

“I’m enjoying myself,” the low-key Burgess said via telephone from the event. “Elijah’s doing this, but I chipped in to help buy some toys. Everybody is helping out. The place is packed. There are a lot of kids here.”

Burgess said he hopes to do this sort of thing every year.

If the 2007 Hillsborough grad keeps playing the way he has, he should have the money to do it. Burgess, 19, batted .318 in the minors this year with stints in both the Gulf Coast and New York-Penn leagues. The power-hitting outfielder had 11 homers and 42 RBIs.

Burgess was the 49th overall pick in the Major League Baseball amateur draft.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Comments

Step away from the wife beater!!!! Make new friends!!! Nice that you do something good for the kids.....now get away from that guy who is NOT a good influence!!!

[Art Duarte]

Elijah is a good person, moving to the Nationals was the best thing that happened to him, give the guy a break!!!

Wife beaters don't deserve a break......he can't be THAT good of a person.....I realize he is an exceptional athlete but that certainly doesn't excuse appalling behavior...look what happened to Michael Vick. What goes around comes around...eventually