A free-swinging Dominican-born slugger, Geronimo Berroa was a late bloomer in the baseball world. Berroa hit .265 with almost no power in 81 games for the Braves in 1989, and then all but disappeared, collecting a grand total of 53 major-league at-bats over the next four years. He wouldn’t make an impact until 1994, when at the age of 29 he batted .306 with 13 home runs and 65 RBIs for Oakland. The following season, splitting time between outfield and designated hitter, he ripped 22 homers and drove in 88.
Berroa put everything together in 1996, batting .290 with career highs of 36 home runs, 106 RBIs and 101 runs scored, but fanned 122 times against 47 walks. In the midst of another strong run in 1997, Berroa was traded in mid-season to Baltimore, where he helped the Orioles win the AL East and advance to the League Championship Series. He finished the year with 26 home runs and 90 RBIs between the two teams. Those numbers would mark the end of his productive days, however, as he suffered a sharp decline that saw him hit just two home runs in 284 at-bats over the next three seasons.
