David Bruce Bergman (June 6, 1953 – February 2, 2015) was an American
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
first baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
,
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
and
left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
who played between 1975 and 1992.
Early life
Born in
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, Wil ...
, Bergman was an alumnus of
Maine South High School
Maine South High School (officially known as Maine Township High School South) is a public four-year high school located in Park Ridge, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Maine Township High Sch ...
and
Illinois State University
Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...
.
In 1973 and 1974, he played
collegiate summer baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
with the
Chatham A's
The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in t ...
of the
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...
, and won the league batting title in 1973. His uniform number 12 was retired at Illinois State in 1994.
Playing career
Bergman was drafted by the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
out of high school, but opted to pursue a college degree rather than sign with his favorite team.
At Illinois State, he was voted the team
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
in 1973 and 1974.
In 1974, he was named an
All-American outfielder by ''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
''.
He ended his college career with a .366
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
and 63
runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
.
Drafted by the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
in the second round of the
1974 Major League Baseball draft, Bergman was a batting champion and league MVP in each of his first two minor league seasons, first with the
New York–Penn League
The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...
in 1974 and then with the
Eastern League in 1975.
He played in only 12 games with the Yankees between 1975 and 1977, before being traded to the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
in December 1977. In four years with the Astros from 1978–1981, Bergman was a part-time player who never had more than 186 at bats or one home run in a season.
He was signed by Yankees scout
Lou Maguolo
Louis Dewey Maguolo (8 June 1899 – 14 May 1977) was an American Major League Baseball executive. A baseball scout for the St. Louis Browns and New York Yankees, he was best known for signing Yankee greats Bill Skowron, Tony Kubek, Fritz Peterso ...
.
Bergman, along with
Jeffrey Leonard
Jeffrey Leonard (born September 22, 1955) is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 to 1990 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee ...
, was traded from the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
to the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
for
Mike Ivie
Michael Wilson Ivie (born August 8, 1952), is an American people, American former professional baseball player. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and Detroit Tige ...
on April 20, 1981. In 1983, Bergman appeared in 90 games for the Giants and hit six home runs with a .286 batting average.
On March 24, 1984, Bergman was traded twice; from the Giants to the Phillies, then from the Phillies to the Tigers. Bergman was the starting first baseman for the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
team that defeated the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
in the
1984 World Series
The 1984 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1984 season. The 81st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the Nationa ...
. He appeared in 120 games for the 1984 Tigers and had a career-high 44 RBIs and seven home runs.
On June 4, 1984, Bergman came to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning with two men on base and two outs in a game against the second-place Toronto Blue Jays, who at that time trailed the Tigers by five games. Bergman fouled off seven pitches, and on a full count hit the 13th pitch of the at bat into the upper deck at Tiger Stadium for a walk-off, three-run home run. In his season-long diary that became the book ''Bless You Boys'', Detroit manager,
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson (February 22, 1934 – November 4, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player, coach, and manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third t ...
, wrote, "Tonight I saw the greatest at bat in my life...Bergie fouled off seven pitches and then picked one practically off the ground and drilled it into the upper deck in right. What a battle! Bergie was up there a full seven minutes."
He hit a career high .294 for the Tigers in 1988, and in August 1989, he broke up a
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanning four decades, Ryan ...
no-hitter with a one-out single in the ninth inning.
On August 5, 1989, Bergman recorded a putout of
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
Ozzie Guillén
Oswaldo José Guillén Barrios (; born January 20, 1964) is a former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for 16 seasons, primarily with the Chicago White Sox, from 1985 to 2000. During tha ...
using the
hidden ball trick
A hidden ball trick is a play in which a player deceives the opposing team about the location of the ball. Hidden ball tricks are most commonly observed in baseball, where the defence deceives the runner about the location of the ball, to tag out t ...
.
Bergman played nine seasons for the Tigers, with most of his time spent as a left-handed batting
platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...
or reserve player. During his last seasons, he backed up
Cecil Fielder
Cecil Grant Fielder (; born September 21, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Fielder was a power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV ...
at first base while also seeing time at designated hitter.
Playing style
![Dave Bergman (6739739025) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Dave_Bergman_%286739739025%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Bergman was noted for his extreme righty/lefty splits, which led to his long career as a
part-time or platoon player. He batted .264/.356/.377 against right handed pitchers in 2,825 plate appearances. Against left handed pitchers, he batted .196/.265/.271 in only 289 plate appearances. Despite not usually hitting for a high
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
(.258 career), he finished his career with a respectable
Adjusted OPS
On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a Sabermetrics, sabermetric baseball statistics, baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, t ...
of 101, mostly on the strength of his on-base ability. Bergman was noted for his strike zone judgment, and accumulated more
base on balls
A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Se ...
than
strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
s over the course of his career (380 to 347).
Personal life
Bergman lived in the Detroit area after retirement, making
Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan
Grosse Pointe Woods is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 16,135 at the 2010 census.
The city is a northeastern suburb of Metro Detroit and shares a small southern border with the city of Detroit. It is ...
his home beginning in 1985. He served as a partner and senior portfolio analyst with Sigma Investment Counselors in
Southfield, Michigan
Southfield is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,618.
As a northern suburb of Detroit, Southfield shares part of its ...
.
Bergman was a good friend of
Joe Niekro
Joseph Franklin Niekro ( ; November 7, 1944 – October 27, 2006) was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was the younger brother of pitcher Phil Niekro, and the father of former Major League first baseman Lance Niekro. Niekr ...
, and the two were fishing partners for over 30 years. Following Niekro's death from a
brain aneurysm
An intracranial aneurysm, also known as a brain aneurysm, is a cerebrovascular disorder in which weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery or vein causes a localized dilation or ballooning of the blood vessel.
Aneurysms in the posterior circul ...
, Bergman began working with th
Joe Niekro Foundationand committed his efforts to supporting research, treatment and awareness of brain aneurysms, AVMs and hemorrhagic strokes. He also spent time working with youth and high school programs, and served as a trustee for former Tigers manager
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson (February 22, 1934 – November 4, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player, coach, and manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third t ...
's C.A.T.C.H. charity.
Death
Bergman died on February 2, 2015, at the age of 61, following a long battle with
bile duct cancer
Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, is a type of cancer that forms in the bile ducts. Symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma may include abdominal pain, yellowish skin, weight loss, generalized itching, and fever. Light colored stool ...
. He is survived by his wife, Cathy, and three children, Troy, Bria and Erika.
References
External links
, o
RetrosheetSABR BioProject o
Baseball Biography o
Pelota Binaria (Venezuelan Winter League)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bergman, Dave
1953 births
2015 deaths
Baseball players from Illinois
Cardenales de Lara players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Charleston Charlies players
Chatham Anglers players
Deaths from cancer in Michigan
Deaths from cholangiocarcinoma
Detroit Tigers players
Houston Astros players
Illinois State Redbirds baseball players
Major League Baseball designated hitters
Major League Baseball first basemen
Major League Baseball outfielders
Nashville Sounds players
New York Yankees players
Oneonta Yankees players
San Francisco Giants players
Sportspeople from Evanston, Illinois
Syracuse Chiefs players
West Haven Yankees players