The phrases "once in a lifetime" or "one of a kind" are usually words used to describe someone who has talent beyond that of anyone else around them and shine doing everything they do, in this case, on a baseball diamond.
These phrases are not to be taken lightly and shouldn't be thrown around with carelessness, as it takes a special player to invoke these works - a special player such as the 2008 Macomb Journal High School Baseball Player of the Year, Nick Burke.
"A little surprised, but yet very satisfied, because if anybody deserves it, it's Nick," West Prairie coach Ken Shoemaker said. "You couldn't have made a better choice, if you based it on character, because he is just an outstanding young man and very well deserving of the honor."
Burke showed why many people believe he was above and beyond any other player this season with his numbers at the plate and on the mound.
In 12 statistical categories that are relied on to not only make decisions on first, second and honorable mention teams, but player of the year selection as well, Burke was ranked in the top five in 10 of those categories.
Burke was first in the area in batting average (.512), triples (4) and homeruns (11), while he was fourth in the area in RBI (36), hits (43), pitching winning percentage (4-1, .800), ERA (2.11), and strikeouts (59), fifth in the area in runs (35), and doubles (8), seventh in the area in stolen bases (15) and 15th in the area in innings pitched (37).
"I am going to miss him dearly, because even as a senior he was the first one putting the equipment away, he was the first one raking the field when he was done and he never walks anywhere," Shoemaker said. "That was one of the things we implemented at the end of the year, he came to me and wanted to know if we could break every inning and sprint to our positions. ... He likes to be sharp and it made us look sharp as a team.
"I again am going to miss him a ton, because he is one of those once in a lifetime talents that you get to work with," Shoemaker concluded.
What makes Burke so good offensively is Burke's ability to make something out of every pitch he gets.
"I think his hands are so quick that he sees a lot of pitches he can do something with, no matter where they are at," Shoemaker said. "He limits himself on strikeouts, he makes the best out of every at-bat that he gets.
"He's got such quick hands and he is so strong for a young kid, that even if he hits a ball that isn't completely solid, it finds a spot somewhere and if he puts the ball in play you are going to have to hustle to throw him out, because he does everything at 150 percent," Shoemaker continued. "With his effort and his work ethic he has been very successful."
Burke also does things just as well on the defensive end and that is thanks to his mentality of being able to make every play on every ball that is hit his way.
"He's aggressive and that is a good thing for your shortstop to have and he gets to balls that other kids would have never have gotten to," Shoemaker said. "Sometimes he makes errors on some of those plays that I feel bad giving him an error for it, because 90 percent of kids wouldn't have gotten to those balls.
"He never gives up and that is the thing," Shoemaker said. "You get a play that is a little bit deep in the hole, most kids wouldn't have made the play and he'll end up throwing the kid out...he's just a phenomenal kid."
With the amount of pressure that has been on Burke from the word go, since the early days of him playing baseball, it would have been easy for a kid to fold under the pressure, but not Nick.
"We've talked to him about it, because he puts more pressure on himself than anyone around him, he puts all the pressure on himself," Shoemaker said. "I think he's just so confident in his abilities that even though it feels like a pressure cooker around him, he just relies on his talent and his ability.
"He's seen that through the years, that he is able to perform at this level and I think he is just very confident in his ability and has faith in himself that he can handle it and get through it," Shoemaker continued. "I don't know how he does it, because everybody expects everything out of Nick, but still he gets up there and performs.
"I keep saying it, but he is just one of those once in a career kids that I will be able to coach that can handle just about anything you throw at him," Shoemaker said. "It's just confidence in himself and confidence in the guys around him."
How far will baseball take Burke...only Nick knows for sure.
"I think Nick will play baseball as long as Nick wants to play baseball," Shoemaker said. "Whether he goes as far as some people say he'll go, I don't know, but I think he will go as far as Nick wants to go.
"I think some day when he's ready to hang up the cleats, it will be time to hang up the cleats," Shoemaker added. "I think he can be as successful as he wants to be."