Professional athlete Jesse Cail Burkett (December 4, 1868 – May 27, 1953) was the first of only three West Virginia natives inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame (the others being Bill Mazeroski and George Brett). Born in Wheeling to Granville and Ellen Burkett, he grew up at 206 South Wabash Street, near the historic Wheeling Island Ballpark. By the late 1880s, Burkett was working as a gatherer in one of the city’s many glass factories.

The 5’8” 155-pound left-hander played baseball for teams in the Wheeling area before signing as a pitcher with Scranton, Pennsylvania, of the Central League in 1888 for $85 a month. The following year, Worcester, Massachusetts, of the Atlantic Association signed him on the recommendation of major leaguer and fellow Wheeling native Jack Glasscock. In his lone season with Worcester, Burkett won 30 games, struck out 240 batters, and batted .267.

In 1890, Burkett signed with the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the National League, but the team folded before the season began. His contract was then purchased by the New York Giants. Although his pitching proved less effective against major league hitters, his .309 batting average earned him a starting spot in right field. The next year he joined the National League’s Cleveland Spiders, moving to left field in 1892 and remaining with the club until it folded in 1898. In 1895, he and pitching ace Cy Young led the Spiders to a championship in the Temple Cup, a series that predated the World Series.

Burkett earned the nickname “The Crab” because of his notoriously surly personality, which he directed at players, umpires, fans, and reporters alike. On one occasion, he was ejected from both games of a doubleheader and had to be escorted off the field by police. Despite his temperament, his performance at the plate was exceptional. Burkett twice batted above .400, winning National League batting titles in 1895 and 1896. He remains one of only nine players in major league history to hit .400 in a season more than once.

After the Spiders collapsed financially, Burkett joined the St. Louis Cardinals, where he led the league again with a .376 batting average in 1901. He concluded his major league playing career with the St. Louis Browns (1902–1904) and the Boston Red Sox (1905). Over his career, Burkett compiled a .338 batting average, 75 home runs, and 59.7 wins above replacement (WAR), according to Baseball Reference. He was widely regarded as the greatest bunter of his era—though also one of its weakest fielders.

By the end of his major league career, Burkett had settled in Worcester with his wife, Ellen McGrath Burkett, and their three children. In 1906 he purchased a minor league franchise, moved it to Worcester, and signed himself as a player-manager. That season, he won the New England League batting title and began a run of four consecutive pennants for the club.

After selling the team, Burkett served as head baseball coach at the College of the Holy Cross from 1917 to 1920, leading the team to regional championships in each of his first three seasons. In 1921, he joined John McGraw’s New York Giants (National League) as a coach. Although the Giants won the World Series in both 1921 and 1922, the players voted not to award Burkett a share of the winnings because of their dislike for him.

Burkett later managed minor league teams in Worcester (1923–1924) and Lewiston (1928–1929). During the Great Depression, he worked as a part-time scout and instructor while also holding a job with the Massachusetts State Highway Department.

In 1946, Burkett was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Old Timers Committee, which honored early major league stars. He was officially inducted on July 21, 1947, though he did not attend the ceremony. Burkett was later inducted into the halls of fame of the College of the Holy Cross and the city of Wheeling. A Little League in Worcester bears his name. He is buried in Worcester, Massachusetts.