The Inscriber Magazine highlighted Ben Grieve in its series highlighting player history for the Oakland Athletics in the franchise’s time in Oakland. Today its Geronimo Berroa.
In 1983, he got signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an amateur free agent. Yet did not make his Major League debut until getting drafted in the Rule 5 Draft by the Atlanta Braves. He played in 88 games before getting released. Then things got interesting for Berroa as he signed with the Seattle Mariners before his contract got purchased by the Cleveland Indians. That October he became a free agent again and signed with the Cincinnati Reds.
Berroa had 15 at-bats for the Reds. He got released and ended up signing with the Florida Marlins and only had 34 at-bats during the 1993 season. He was then granted free agency and signed with the Athletics.
With the A’s, Berroa finally got an opportunity that was not afforded to him in his previous stops. Though the 1994 season ended in a strike, he made the most of his opportunity as the left fielder and designated hitter. In 96 games he hit .306 with 104 hits, 18 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs, 65 RBI, he walked 41 times while striking out 62 times, and had an OBP of .379. Unfortunately though his time with the A’s coincided with a complete tear down of the Athletics roster and where winning and pitching was difficult to come by.
Still he quickly became a fan favorite and in 1996 he had his best season. Berroa ended the season with 170 hits, 101 runs scored, a .290 batting average, an OBP of .344, he had 32 doubles, a triple, 36 home runs and drove in 106 runs.
While 1997 is remembered by Athletics fans as one of the worst trades in Athletics franchise history as Mark McGwire got traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. Berroa also got traded during the season as well, he was sent to the Baltimore Orioles.
Prior to getting traded Berroa was on pace for another stellar season with the A’s. In 73 games he hit .310 with a .395 OBP with 81 hits, 40 runs scored, 12 doubles, 16 home runs, and 42 RBI. The Athletics acquired starting pitcher Jimmy Haynes from the Orioles who was pitching in Triple-A at the time and one of the top prospects in all of baseball.
For Berroa he bounced around after the 1997 season and by the conclusion of the 2000 season, his Major League career was over. Overall in his time with Oakland in four seasons he hit .293 with an OBP of .363, finished with 507 hits, 84 doubles, six triples, 87 home runs and 301 RBI.