Wally Berger

Walter Anton Berger (October 10, 1905 – November 30, 1988) was an American professional baseball player, scout and manager.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1930 to 1940, most prominently as a member of the Boston Braves, where he was four-time All-Star player and was one of the most prolific power hitters of his era before injuries prematurely ended his playing career after just 10 seasons.

[2] He appeared in two World Series campaigns later in his career with the Giants in 1937 and the Reds in 1939, losing both times to the New York Yankees.

[1] Born in Chicago but raised in San Francisco, Berger played third base for Mission High School, sharing the infield with future Hall of Fame shortstop and American League president Joe Cronin, who manned second base.

Through 2025, he was one of five players to hit 20 or more home runs in their rookie year before July, along with Albert Pujols (2001), Joc Pederson (2015), Cody Bellinger (2017), and Pete Alonso (2019).

[7] Following his retirement as a player, he was a scout for the New York Yankees and managed their Manchester, New Hampshire, minor league team in 1949.