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Original story and credit to: Garry Brown, Special to The Republican

 

As one of Greenfield’s all-time great athletes, Peter Bergeron has settled back in his hometown, where he spends some of his time coaching and watching his three children play in junior sports leagues.

He also spends time traveling, going to major league ballparks and deep into the minor leagues as a pro scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The scouting job, which he has been doing since 2014, keeps him busy in the game he loves, after a playing career which started as a Dodgers draftee in 1996 and ended as a Pittsburgh minor leaguer in 2007.

In between, he played parts of five seasons in the big leagues as center fielder and leadoff man for the Montreal Expos (now the world champion Washington Nationals).

“No regrets,” he said. “Overall, I had a long playing career and I enjoyed my time in pro ball. I had the opportunity to play for a very knowledgeable manager in Felipe Alou. And I had some great teammates along the way, people like Vladimir Guerrero and Adrian Beltre.”

Guerrero, his teammate in Montreal, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. Beltre, Bergeron’s teammate in Double A with the Dodgers, likely will be a first-ballot electee when he becomes eligible in 2023.

Bergeron, 42, also has recognition coming, as a member of the Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020.

“It’s great to be recognized by your home area. Our family is looking forward to it,” he said.

Baseball has become the game of his life, but there was a time when football was very big for him, too. At Greenfield High School – which has a long and rich tradition in the sport – he was a fleet running back, becoming its all-time leader in yards gained and points scored.

He played football for coach Mike Duprey and baseball for coach Tom Suchanek, who was elected to the WMass hall in 2017.

“Same thing with high school – memories of teammates and coaches, and bonds that last. Altogether, it’s quite a fraternity for me in baseball and football,” Bergeron said.

As a senior in 1996, he earned Gatorade’s Massachusetts Player of the Year award in baseball. He was bound for Clemson University on a baseball scholarship when the Dodgers made him their fourth-round draft pick. He made the decision to go pro, and was signed by scout John Kosciak.

In 1998, Bergeron was hitting .317 and leading Double A San Antonio with 33 stolen bases, when, out of the blue, he was traded in a deadline deal that brought Mark Grudzielanek, Hiram Bocachica and Carlo Perez to the Dodgers. The Expos got Bergeron, lefty pitcher Ted Lilly and Vladimir Guerrero’s brother, Wilton.

Bergeron was 20 years old at the time and of the mindset that he always would be a Dodger. The trade woke him up in that regard, but also gave him a fast track to the big leagues as leadoff man for Les Expos.

“Felipe Alou knew his stuff, and he was a good man to play for. I was a rookie, so I just kept my head down and concentrated on doing my job,” he said.

Bergeron’s speed and defense made him a valuable leadoff man and center fielder, but his lack of consistency at the plate led the Expos to trade him to the Milwaukee Brewers organization in 2004. Next, he signed with the Chicago Cubs as a free agent. In 2005, he spent time in the minors with the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies. He spent 2007, his final season, playing for York in independent ball and then for Double A Altoona. He again became a free agent after that season, but decided it was time to end his journey in pro ball.

Six years ago, he began a new one when the Dodgers hired him as a pro scout. In that role, he concentrates on certain organizations – “from the big leagues to rookie ball” – compiling information on players who might be worthy of trade consideration.

He spent the last two seasons covering the Red Sox, Mets and Yankees, an ideal arrangement that enabled him to devote some time to coaching his daughters, Amber, 14, and Tayler, 11, and his son Conner, 9.

“Not sure what I’ll be doing this season. We haven’t gotten our assignments yet,” he said.

In this age of baseball analytics, the Dodgers strike a balance between that and the considered observations of scouts.

“Our scouting department works together with the analytics department, giving our club a good combination in evaluating talent,” Bergeron said.

He grew up as a Red Sox fan, but now, it’s all about Dodger Blue.

“I have a house full of Dodger gear, and our kids wear LA hats,” he said.

As for settling with his wife, Jennifer, in dear old Greenfield, he said, “Love it here. I’ve always had a great feel for life in Western Massachusetts.”

 

Garry Brown can be reached at geebrown1918@gmail.com Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of stories highlighting this year’s inductees into the Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame.