John Walter Burch
Career: 1931-1946
Positions: c, 2b, ss, p, manager
Teams: Atlantic City Bacharach Giants (1931), Washington Pilots (1932), Newark Dodgers (1934), Baltimore Black Sox, Kansas City Monarchs, Homestead Grays (1936), Cleveland Bears (1939), Chicago American Giants (1940), New Orleans-St. Louis Stars (1940), St. Louis Stars (1941), Cincinnati Buckeyes (1942), Cleveland Buckeyes (1943-1944, 1946)
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6' Weight: 175
During his career he was primarily a catcher, but also served as an infielder and manager. Defensively he was an average receiver, but he lacked punch at the plate. He spent almost all of his baseball career with teams in the Negro American League, and after his playing days ended, he embarked on a managerial career. He took the reins of the Cleveland Buckeyes in 1942, their inaugural season in the Negro American League, but was replaced by Parnell Woods in early summer. Burch remained with the team, batting .277 in 1944; and in 1946, his last in the Negro Leagues, he also took a few turns on the mound, splitting a pair of decisions.
Source: James A. Riley, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues, New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 1994.