Dale Berra
Encyclopedia
Dale Anthony Berra is a former Major League Baseball
player who primarily played as an infielder
from through . He is the son of Hall of Fame
catcher Yogi Berra
.
. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates
with the twentieth overall pick in the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft
, and made his major league debut on August 22, 1977 at only twenty years old.
champion Pirates, though he did not receive an at-bat in the post season. A third baseman
in the minor leagues, Berra earned playing time at third, second
and shortstop
his first five seasons in the majors before being handed the starting shortstop job in . That season, he enjoyed career highs in batting average
(.263), hits
(139), runs scored (64) and runs batted in (61).
and Alfonso Pulido
for Steve Kemp
and Tim Foli
, whom Berra had replaced as the Pirates starting shortstop. Dale became the first son to play for his father in the major leagues since Earle Mack
appeared in a total of 125 games for the Philadelphia Athletics in and under Connie Mack
. Dale was batting .343 until his father was fired sixteen games into the season and replaced by Billy Martin
. Under Martin, Dale was returned to a back-up infielder role, and his batting average fell to .229 for the season.
distribution trial of Curtis Strong that he shared cocaine with Lee Lacy
, John Milner
, Dave Parker
, Lee Mazzilli
and Rod Scurry
while all were members of the Pirates, and that his own drug use peaked while he was injured during the 1984 season.
On February 28, Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth
handed down suspensions to eleven players, seven of whom received a full season suspension, including Berra. All avoided the suspensions by agreeing to donate a small percentage of their 1986 salaries to a drug program and do community service work. The players who received the full year suspensions were allowed to play under the condition that they donated ten percent of their base salaries to drug-related community service, submitted to random drug testing, and contributed 100 hours of drug-related community service.
was named the Yankees' manager in and Berra was released on July 27. Shortly afterwards, he was signed by the Houston Astros
where Yogi Berra was a coach. Dale spent the rest of the 1986 season with Houston's triple-A affiliate.
After spending most of with triple-A Tucson
, Berra debuted with the Astros on August 15. He batted .178 in 19 games for the Astros, and was released at the end of the season. He spent the season in the Baltimore Orioles
' system before retiring.
. In 1990, Berra was running a construction company in Cranford, New Jersey
.
Berra played more games than any son of a Hall-of-Famer, topping Dick Sisler
(853 to 799). His older brother, Larry, played briefly in the New York Mets
organization, and his older brother, Tim
, played with the Baltimore Colts
in 1974.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who primarily played as an infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
from through . He is the son of Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
catcher Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
.
Early years
Berra was a highly sought prospect upon his graduation from Montclair High School in Montclair, New JerseyMontclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
with the twentieth overall pick in the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft
1975 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1975 Major League Baseball draft..Many baseball draft experts consider the 1975 draft to be the weakest in MLB history.- External links :*- References :...
, and made his major league debut on August 22, 1977 at only twenty years old.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Berra was a member of the 1979 World Series1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
champion Pirates, though he did not receive an at-bat in the post season. A third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
in the minor leagues, Berra earned playing time at third, second
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
his first five seasons in the majors before being handed the starting shortstop job in . That season, he enjoyed career highs in batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(.263), hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(139), runs scored (64) and runs batted in (61).
New York Yankees
Yogi Berra was named manager of the Yankees prior to the start of the season. Following the season, the Yankees acquired the younger Berra, along with Jay BuhnerJay Buhner
Jay Campbell Buhner , nicknamed "Bone", is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He was among the most recognizable players of his day, noted for his shaved head, thick goatee, and patch of pine tar on the right hip of his uniform...
and Alfonso Pulido
Alfonso Pulido
Alfonso Pulido Manzo is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Pulido played parts of three seasons in Major League Baseball, with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1983-1984 and with the New York Yankees in 1986, appearing in 12 career games with a 1-1 record.Before signing with Major League Baseball,...
for Steve Kemp
Steve Kemp
Steven F. Kemp is a former Major League Baseball outfielder from 1977 to 1986 and 1988. He is of Armenian heritage.-Professional career:...
and Tim Foli
Tim Foli
Timothy John Foli , nicknamed Crazy Horse, is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels and New York Yankees from to...
, whom Berra had replaced as the Pirates starting shortstop. Dale became the first son to play for his father in the major leagues since Earle Mack
Earle Mack
Earle Thaddeus Mack, born Earle Thaddeus McGillicuddy , was an American player and coach in Major League Baseball, and, during parts of two seasons, manager of the Philadelphia Athletics when his father, Connie Mack, was too ill to manage. He also became a part-owner of the franchise. His nephew...
appeared in a total of 125 games for the Philadelphia Athletics in and under Connie Mack
Connie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
. Dale was batting .343 until his father was fired sixteen games into the season and replaced by Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
. Under Martin, Dale was returned to a back-up infielder role, and his batting average fell to .229 for the season.
Pittsburgh drug trials
On September 9, 1985, Berra testified during the cocaineCocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
distribution trial of Curtis Strong that he shared cocaine with Lee Lacy
Lee Lacy
Leondaus "Lee" Lacy , is a former Major League baseball player who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles, primarily as an outfielder, from 1972-1987.-Trivia:...
, John Milner
John Milner
John David Milner was an American first baseman and left fielder in Major League Baseball. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, he grew up a huge Hank Aaron fan, even appropriating his idol's nickname, "The Hammer." He was a member of the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates team that won the World Series...
, Dave Parker
Dave Parker
David Gene "The Cobra" Parker is an American former player in Major League Baseball. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a 5-year, $5 million dollar contract...
, Lee Mazzilli
Lee Mazzilli
Lee Louis Mazzilli, , is a former Major League Baseball player, coach, and manager. On December 11, 2006, he was hired as the lead studio analyst for SportsNet New York, the New York Mets' cable television network...
and Rod Scurry
Rod Scurry
Rodney Grant Scurry was a Major League pitcher for eight seasons, and was the first Major League Baseball player directly linked to the Pittsburgh drug trials that dogged baseball during the mid-1980s...
while all were members of the Pirates, and that his own drug use peaked while he was injured during the 1984 season.
On February 28, Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth
Peter Ueberroth
Peter Victor Ueberroth is an American executive. He served as the sixth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1989. He was recently the chairman of the United States Olympic Committee; he was replaced by Larry Probst in October 2008....
handed down suspensions to eleven players, seven of whom received a full season suspension, including Berra. All avoided the suspensions by agreeing to donate a small percentage of their 1986 salaries to a drug program and do community service work. The players who received the full year suspensions were allowed to play under the condition that they donated ten percent of their base salaries to drug-related community service, submitted to random drug testing, and contributed 100 hours of drug-related community service.
Houston Astros
Lou PiniellaLou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager...
was named the Yankees' manager in and Berra was released on July 27. Shortly afterwards, he was signed by the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
where Yogi Berra was a coach. Dale spent the rest of the 1986 season with Houston's triple-A affiliate.
After spending most of with triple-A Tucson
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. They are owned by Tucson Baseball, LLC with Jay Zucker as chairman of the board. Sean Smock is the team's general manager....
, Berra debuted with the Astros on August 15. He batted .178 in 19 games for the Astros, and was released at the end of the season. He spent the season in the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
' system before retiring.
Personal life
In April 1989, Berra was indicted in a drug raid on an operation that allegedly distributed $15,000 to $20,000 worth of cocaine each week in Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Union and his hometown, Essex County, New JerseyEssex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
. In 1990, Berra was running a construction company in Cranford, New Jersey
Cranford, New Jersey
Cranford is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 22,625.Cranford was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 14, 1871, from portions of the Townships of Clark, Linden,...
.
Berra played more games than any son of a Hall-of-Famer, topping Dick Sisler
Dick Sisler
Richard Alan Sisler was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Sisler was the son of Hall of Fame first baseman and two-time .400 hitter George Sisler. Younger brother Dave Sisler was a relief pitcher in the 1950s and 1960s with four MLB...
(853 to 799). His older brother, Larry, played briefly in the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
organization, and his older brother, Tim
Tim Berra (American football)
Timothy Thomas Berra is a former American football player who played for the Baltimore Colts in 1974. He is the son of Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra and the brother of former Major League Baseball infielder Dale Berra.-College:Berra played college football for the UMass Minutemen from...
, played with the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
in 1974.
See also
- List of second generation Major League Baseball players
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences