All-Time Indians: Heinie Berger

Charles “Heinie” Berger, the nickname deriving from German heritage, had a fast, explosive career, entirely as a member of the Cleveland Naps. Berger was born in Illinois in 1882 and made his professional debut in 1903 with the Columbus Senators. He spent until 1906 with the minor league squad, when he pitched 371 innings, won 28 and posted a 2.43 run average (earned runs are not available). The following year his contract was purchased by Cleveland and he made his MLB at the age of 25 in 1907.

In 1907, Addie Joss (27 wins, 1.84 ERA in 1907) was in his eighth season as staff ace after posting an ERA below 2.85 in his first seven seasons and at least 20 wins in each of his past two. Behind him was Glenn Liebhardt (18 wins, 2.06 ERA) in his second season, Bob “Dusty” Rhoads (15 wins, 3.60 ERA) and Jake Theilman (11 wins, 2.33 ERA). In the four man rotation, the Naps used six different pitchers in at least ten starts and with the confusion, Berger was able to grab seven starts and 14 total appearances. In those seven starts, five were completed appearances and one was a shut out, leading to 87.1 innings and a 2.99 ERA.

The following season, the rotation settled down and despite tough competition from Otto Hess and Walter Clarkson, Berger managed to break into the 1908 rotation. That season was the most possibly the most pitching dominated season in baseball history and Berger was lucky to take part. After 12 qualified pitchers finished the 1907 season with an ERA below 2.00, 18 did so in 1908 including Joss, who lead the league with a 1.16, Cy Young of Boston (right behind him at 1.26) and two other Indians, Charlie Chech (1.74 ERA) and Dusty Rhoads (1.77 ERA). Berger was the fourth man in the rotation, ahead of Chech, but behind Liebhardt, who posted a 2.20 ERA in 26 starts. While the rest of the rotation was dominating, Berger piggy backed to a 2.12 mark and 13 wins in 24 starts. Had Berger posted these rate stats in almost any other season (.203 BAA and 1.03 WHIP), he would have been the top pitcher on the team, but Joss’ marks just happened to be the greatest in Indians history in both ERA and WHIP.

While Berger’s numbers dropped off a bit in 1909, comparatively to the rest of the league, they were even better than in 1908. Liebhardt, Chech and Theilman were out of the rotation with Young coming back to Cleveland for the first time since 1898. Berger was the third man behind Joss and Young and made 29 starts with an ERA of 2.73 in 247 innings. Again, despite his excellent ERA, he finished behind Young, Joss and newcomer Cy Falkenberg. In fact, Joss’ 1.71 ERA in 1909 marked his fourth spot in the current top five in Indians history in single season ERA. Only Luis Tiant in 1960 with a 1.60 ERA has matched these levels since 1910. As for Berger, he was the best on the team as far as strike outs as he K’d 162, just five below the team record at the time (Hess 1906). In addition, his 5.9 K/9 that year was the best in the entire American League as were his 13 hit batters.

By 1910, sub-2.00 ERAs were no longer commonplace and as everyone’s numbers climbed, so did Berger’s. That year, he held a career high 3.03 ERA and was removed from the rotation with Falkenberg taking a full place in the rotation along with Young and the newly added Willie Mitchell while no other starter made 17 or more starts. Berger went just 3-4 in eight starts and 65.1 innings, never to be seen again in the Major Leagues.

While he was limited in total innings, Berger was still one of the most efficient pitchers in Indians (or Naps) history, posting career marks in ERA (2.60) and WHIP (1.14) that remain in the top ten all-time more than a century later. In addition, most likely thanks to his short career, Berger is one of the top five pitchers to play their entire career in Cleveland along with Joss, Bob Feller and Mel Harder. While not much compared to modern pitchers, his 5.06 career K/9 ranks among the best during his era.

Following his Naps career, Berger continued in the minors from 1911 through 1915 in the high minor leagues, playing for Columbus again, then the Mobile Sea Gulls and the Nashville Volunteers. Following 20 wins in 1914 in 39 starts and 12 more in 1915 in 38, Berger retired from baseball for good. He would ultimately move back to Cleveland, where he played his entire Major League career, dying in Lakewood at the age of 72 in 1954.