Tim Burt has a scrapbook full of great memories of his high school baseball career at St. Mary’s High School.
As a senior left-hander in the 1990 season, he pitched a no-hitter on the night that the school retired St. Mary’s great Tony Conigliaro’s baseball jersey and named the gymnasium in his honor.
“That night was like a movie,” recalled Burt.
Two years earlier in 1988, Burt had one of the best seasons ever by a Lynn pitcher: a 9-0 record and an earned run average of 0.10. And oh, by the way, St. Mary’s, with a trio of aces in Tim Burt, Tim Fila, and Eddie Cash, won the second of back-to-back state championships that season, all part of an amazing 46-game winning streak.
The starting catcher was Derek Dana, the current St. Mary’s baseball coach who went on to play professionally in the San Francisco Giants organization.
“Derek was fantastic – nothing got by him,” said Burt. “Whatever sign he put down, you had to listen to him. He was a quiet leader.”
Burt’s pitching exploits earned him a tryout with the Cleveland Indians and a spot on the U.S.A. national team that traveled to the Netherlands.
The 40-year-old vice principal at Cobbet Elementary School still has mementos from his high school career and that amazing run of back-to-back state championships.
“We got everything – we got jackets, plaques, rings – and I have them up on my mantle at home,” said Burt.
Burt played three years on the varsity for coach Jim Tgettis, who retired this spring from his coaching position at Salem High School.
“Jim Tgettis is one of the classiest men you’d ever meet,” said Burt. “I’ve brought down his theories and his knowledge to my own son, Christian, who is an 11-year-old player for Wyoma Little League. I learned discipline from coach Tgettis. We had our four-to-five-hour practices daily at Barry Park. We try to instill those principles in our players.”
Christian Burt is one of four 11-year-olds who played for the Wyoma All-Star team this season. David Bernard, Spencer DiVirgilio, and Zach Elwell were the other 11-year-olds who will help make Wyoma one of the top contenders for the District 16 title in 2013.
The younger Burt has followed in his father’s footsteps to St. Mary’s. Christian, who has already hit a grand slam in Little League, will begin seventh grade in September.
“Hopefully, he’ll be playing baseball with coach [Derek] Dana,” said Burt of his former batterymate.”
The Burt name has been well known for a long time in Lynn sports, its legacy magnified by the ongoing achievements of Buckingham Browne and Nichols goaltender Katie Burt, who is Tim Burt’s niece.
“Katie is incredible, she’s just a good kid who’s getting straight A’s at BB&N – she works hard,” said Burt. “Softball, baseball, and of course, hockey, she just got back from a national hockey team camp in Minnesota. She’s come down here and pitched some batting practice for the Lynn Gallant team.”
Twenty-five years after helping St. Mary’s capture state championship glory, Tim Burt is giving back to baseball as a coach in the Wyoma Little League. And with a talented returning nucleus of four All-Star players and others ready to make their mark next year, Wyoma should be a strong contender for the District 16 Williamsport Tournament title.
So it might be a good time for the Burt family to start making some room on the mantle for more trophies.