| Sean Bergman | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1970-04-11)April 11, 1970 (age 54) Joliet, Illinois, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: July 7, 1993, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| NPB: May 27, 2001, for the Kintetsu Buffaloes | |
| Last appearance | |
| MLB: June 17, 2000, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| NPB: August 26, 2002, for the Kintetsu Buffaloes | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 39–47 |
| Earned run average | 5.28 |
| Strikeouts | 455 |
| NPB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 14–10 |
| Earned run average | 4.62 |
| Strikeouts | 116 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Sean Frederick Bergman (born April 11, 1970) is an American former right-handedMajor League Baseball (MLB)pitcher who played for theDetroit Tigers,San Diego Padres,Houston Astros,Atlanta Braves, andMinnesota Twins between 1993 and 2000. Bergman attendedJoliet Catholic High School inJoliet, Illinois, before attendingSouthern Illinois University.
Standing at 6'4", 205 pounds,[citation needed] Bergman was originally drafted by the Tigers 115th overall in the1991 Major League Baseball draft.
He spent his first professional season, 1991, with theNiagara Falls Rapids of theNew York–Penn League. In 15 games with them, he went five and seven with a 4.46earned run average (ERA). Astarting pitcher, hestruck out 77 batters in just over 84 innings of work.
He started the 1992 season with theLakeland Tigers, going five and two with them, with a 2.49 ERA. He finished his second professional season with a nine and nine record, posting a 3.41 ERA. This is because after his promotion to theLondon Tigers, he went only four and seven with a 4.28 ERA.[1]
Although his 1993 minor league season was statistically lackluster (eight and nine with a 4.38 ERA), he still must have impressed the big-league Tigers enough to earn a promotion. He made his major league debut on July 7 of that year against the Minnesota Twins. Overall, he went 1–4 in nine games with the Tigers in 1993. Hewalked 23 and struck out 19 in 392⁄3 innings. One notable achievement though is that he pitched acomplete game in the first start of his career.[2]
He spent most of 1994 with theToledo Mud Hens, posting an 11–8 record. He started three games in the majors, going 2–1. Bergman spent the majority of the 1995 season in the majors. In 28 games started, he posted a 7–10 record with a 5.12 ERA. His 13wild pitches were second in the league, trailing onlyAl Leiter's 14. He did pitch oneshutout, which put him ninth in the league.
Right before the 1996 season, he was traded by the Tigers withCade Gaspar andTodd Steverson to the San Diego Padres forRaul Casanova,Richie Lewis, andMelvin Nieves.
He spent two seasons with the Padres, posting a combined record of 8–12 with an ERA of 5.17. After the 1997 season, he was traded from the Padres to the Houston Astros forJames Mouton. 1998 was perhaps Bergman's best season—he posted a record of 12–9 with a 3.72 ERA. He walked only 42 batters in 172 innings of work. In 1998, he gave up home runs to bothSammy Sosa andMark McGwire as they both chasedRoger Maris' single-season home run record.
He started 1999 with the Astros, but after posting a 4–6 record with a 5.36 ERA for the Astros to start the season, he was released and signed with theAtlanta Braves. He appeared in relief in six games with the Braves, posting a solid 2.84 ERA.
Selected off waivers by the Twins after the 1999 season, he was brought in to try to aid a team who had a struggling starting rotation. He did not make it any better. He started 14 games for them, posted a 9.66 ERA, and by late June, was released. His big league career ended on June 17, 2000, but his pro career did not. He bounced around the minors until 2004, even playing in Japan in 2002.
Overall, he went 39–47 with a 5.28 ERA in 196 games. He walked 272 batters and struck out 455 in 7501⁄3 innings of work.
Bergman once was the pitching coach at the NCAA Division II level, coaching the Findlay team.[citation needed]
He currently lives nearBryan, Ohio[citation needed] and has five children. He teaches physical education at Hicksville Elementary School inHicksville, Ohio. He is also a high school girls golf coach .
