Ellis Burks
A powerful five-tool outfielder whose career resurgence in Colorado made him a foundational star for the Rockies and a beloved figure in two baseball cities.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American baseball player·Birthday: September 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ellis Burks exploded onto the scene with the Boston Red Sox as a rookie who could do it all: hit for average and power, run, field, and throw. His early years were marked by breathtaking talent, including a 30-30 season, but also by persistent injuries that threatened to derail his promise. It was his free-agent move to the expansion Colorado Rockies in 1994 that rewrote his narrative. In the thin air of Denver, a healthy Burks found his peak, putting up monstrous offensive numbers and becoming the heart of the lineup for the first playoff team in Rockies history. He later proved his success wasn't just a Coors Field mirage, earning an All-Star selection with the San Francisco Giants and helping the Cleveland Indians to a postseason run. Burks's career is a testament to resilience, a 18-year journey that saw him evolve from a can't-miss prospect to a veteran leader whose swing always carried serious threat.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ellis was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ellis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Ellis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Gold Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award in 1990, establishing himself as a premier all-around talent with the Boston Red Sox.
- Was a foundational offensive force for the Colorado Rockies, hitting .344 with 40 home runs in their 1996 playoff season.
- Recorded over 2,000 career hits and 352 career home runs across 18 major league seasons.
- Became a member of the 30-30 club in 1996, stealing 32 bases and hitting 40 home runs for the Colorado Rockies.
- Was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2019 for his standout early-career contributions.
Did You Know?
He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round (20th overall) of the 1983 MLB draft directly out of high school.
He hit the first home run in the history of Coors Field, the Rockies' stadium, on April 26, 1995.
He is one of only a few players to have hit 30 home runs and stolen 30 bases in a season for two different teams (Boston and Colorado).
He wore jersey number 1 for the majority of his career after switching from number 8 early in Boston.
“I played through the pain because the game doesn't care about your injuries.”
