The A’s never thought Billy Burns would be their center fielder this year. That was going to be a combination of Craig Gentry and Sam Fuld.
Burns? He was thought to be a year away.
Injuries and slumps led to Burns getting a chance to play. He’s grabbed in and never given it back.
Mostly he’s been recognized for his offense. He leads big league rookies in steals with 24 and in multiple-hit games with 34. He leads American League rookies in hits with 114 and total bases with 147.
Every once in a while, he shows what he can do on defense, and Saturday was one of those nights.