Pete was signed by the New York Giants in 1949, and spent all of 1949-1956 in their farm system, with a 2-game callup to New York at the end of 1955. He also missed the entire 1953 season while in military service.
Burnside was a swingman in the minors, but primarily a starter while with the New York Giants. Beginning in 1958 he split his time evenly between the rotation and the bullpen, except for his first season with the Tigers (1959) and his final season (1963) when he was strictly a relief pitcher.
During the 1957 and 1958 seasons, he split his time between the Giants and their AAA team. It wasn't until 1959 that he spent his first full season in the big leagues, by that time with the Tigers. Pete's contract was purchased in the off-season, and he became the #3 man in Detroit's bullpen (and the only southpaw).
In 1960, he (and Bob Bruce) alternated between bullpen work and the #4 starter's position. After the season Pete was lost to the Washington Senators in the expansion draft. For the next 2 seasons, Burnside continued in the role he had with the Tigers in 1960 - one of his team's top 10 pitchers, but splitting his time evenly between the starting rotation and the bullpen.
After the 1962 season, Pete was traded to the Orioles in a 5-player deal, but after only 6 games (and 7 innings) he was released on May 9th. Two weeks later, the Senators re-signed him, and he spent the remainder of the 1963 season in their bullpen, pitching 57 innings over 38 games.
