Nitro native Lew Burdette's 1957 Game 7 shutdown defined a baseball legend

Lew Burdette, a native of Nitro, West Virginia, threw three complete-game victories for the Milwaukee Braves in the 1957 World Series, a performance that secured the franchise its only championship title.

The 1957 matchup featured the New York Yankees, a team that had dominated the sport for a decade, against the Braves. Few outsiders predicted Milwaukee would win, yet Burdette led the team to the title in seven games.

Burdette did not pitch in high school because Nitro High did not field a baseball team in 1944 when he graduated. He learned the craft later while playing industrial league baseball for the American Viscose Corporation in Nitro.

In the deciding game of the series at Yankee Stadium, Braves manager Fred Haney started Burdette on two days' rest. Burdette had already defeated the Yankees in Games 2 and 5, including a complete-game shutout in Game 5 that required only 87 pitches.

The 1957 Yankees lineup included stars such as Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Hank Bauer. Burdette faced this group with a heavy sinker and strong command. He allowed only seven hits and struck out three players en route to a 5-0 shutout in Game 7.

The Braves clinched the series in the ninth inning. Eddie Matthews backhanded a grounder hit by Moose Skowron to third base and stepped on the bag for a force out. The team then erupted from the dugout to claim the World Series.

Burdette earned the 1957 World Series Most Valuable Player award for his 0.67 earned average and 27 innings pitched. The city of Nitro later declared a Lew Burdette Day to honor his achievement. Tonight, the Milwaukee Brewers host the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the current World Series, continuing a rare matchup between two teams that have never won the championship.