I spend a lot of time complaining about athletes and the money they make.

Most of them strike me as overpaid jerks, whose compensation is out of whack with what the rest of us try to scrounge by on every day.

Then something happens to make you think about that depiction.

Pat Burrell played nine seasons with the Phillies. He arrived as a much-ballyhooed first-round draft pick. Burrell had his ups and downs during nearly a decade in Philly - at the plate, in the field, and with the fans. The last few years he had been routinely lifted in late innings for defensive purposes.

Burrell saw the highs and lows of Philly sports, including the full-throated opinions of its legendary supporters. He was cheered when he did well, and he often got an earful as he trudged back to the dugout after waving at another outside breaking ball.

Of course, all of that culminated last October, when Burrell led the parade celebrating a World Series championship.

In the offseason, the Phils decided to go in a different direction in left field. They signed free agent Raul Ibanez. That meant Burrell’s nine years in Philly were over. He signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, the team the Phils vanquished to touch off that manic celebration.

But Burrell was not quite done with Philly. On Friday, he took out a full-page ad in the Daily News and a half page in the Inky to thank the Phillies organization, and especially the fans.

We constantly complain about how so many athletes take the money and run. Not many did what Burrell did. He reached into his pocket.

You can argue all you want about Burrell’s performance, the Phils’ decision to let him go, and his interaction with the fans.

One thing you can’t argue now: He will be missed.

Burrell signed the bottom of the ads with these simple words: “All my best, Pat.”

The guy is a class act.