Among the first-time runners at the New York City Marathon on Sunday will be Danny Burawa, a Riverhead native who once pitched for the Yankees and the Long Island Ducks.
When it comes to marathons, Burawa is not just a first-timer. He might end up being an only-timer.
“This is my first and, I genuinely believe with my entire heart, my last,” Burawa told Newsday recently in a telephone interview. “I just want to do it, say I did it and move on. I do not see myself getting the bug. This is more of a bucket list than my lifestyle.”
Burawa will be running the 26.2-mile Gotham course for a cause: The 36-year-old is part of Team Animal League, a 33-person group that is raising money for North Shore Animal League America, the Port Washington-based animal rescue organization.
Each member had to pledge to raise a minimum of $3,500. Burawa, who has two cats and a dog — all rescues — reached that goal two weeks before the race.
As of Tuesday, Team Animal League had raised just over $140,000, according to Jill Burkhardt, the senior vice president of development for NSALA, and will be accepting donations until a few days after the marathon.
“That’s the thing,” Burkhardt told Newsday. “These team members, they really are amazing, right? It’s not just the physical challenge of running 26.2 miles, but it’s this very important task of helping to save lives. They believe it. It shows that they’re not just running for themselves. They’re running for the countless lives that will be saved because they stepped up to the challenge.”
Burawa has faced challenges before. After going to Rocky Point High School, Burawa pitched for St. John’s University. But not before a stop at Suffolk Community College, which Burawa called “as low as you can get while still playing college baseball . . . I definitely had humble beginnings. I don’t think I was ever the most talented person until I meshed the work ethic with the talent, which kind of happened funny enough simultaneously as I got into running.
“Those two things together of just not quitting and you don’t have to be the most naturally talented person — it’s you versus yourself. You’re going to want to quit. The ability to just do it when your whole body’s telling you not to do it, that was honestly the story of my baseball career, and it’s been the story of my running. I’m not particularly talented, but I just know in my heart that I’m not going to quit. When I feel like quitting, I don’t because that’s my superpower.”
Danny Burawa made his major league debut for the Yankees on June 21, 2015. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Burawa was picked by the Yankees in the 12th round of the 2010 draft and made his major-league debut on June 21, 2015, when he allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Tigers at Yankee Stadium.
He was a first-timer and an only-timer. That was his only appearance for the Yankees.
“I had pitched the night before in Triple-A at 10 o’clock and then found out I was going up around midnight, and got in a car at 6 a.m.,” he said. “So it’s all kind of a blur. Everything moves really fast.
“I would honestly say my most vivid memory is going out to play catch before the game and stepping out on the field, and as I stepped out on the field, I just remember how bright the sun was shining and how crazy the scale of everything was.”
Burawa went back to the minors, was waived by the Yankees on Aug. 14, and spent the rest of the season with Atlanta, making 12 appearances with a 3.65 ERA.
Ducks relief pitcher Danny Burawa against the York Revolution on Aug. 28, 2016. Credit: Daniel De Mato
Burawa pitched for the Long Island Ducks in 2016 and for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic before trading in his cleats for a pair of running shoes.
Burawa, who went back to school and is current studying radiography, had always incorporated running into his baseball training. But distance running was a different animal.
“It’s just kind of something I kept up even after I stopped playing baseball,” he said. “But it was like a 5K twice a week and once a summer I’d run five miles. It was something I did, but not something that I did with structure or had goals. A couple years ago, I wanted to try and see what happened if I did something structured and more than I thought I could do, and I signed up for a half marathon. And honestly, that didn’t go that well. I did it, but it was painful and then I hit the wall and I was like, ‘All right, well, that’s all I can do.’ ”
But — as you might have guessed — Burawa didn’t give up.
Scott Guber, who has been a member of Team Animal League since its inception in 2008, asked Burawa if he wanted to use his feet and legs to help those with whiskers and paws.
“I was like, I’m not getting any younger, so why not?” Burawa said. “Do it once, push myself and see what happens. North Shore Animal League America’s been awesome and I’m happy to have their name on my chest.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.