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Louis Joseph Berberet
Washington Nationals
Catcher
Born: November 20, 1929, Long Beach, CA
Signed: Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1950 season
Major League Teams: New York Yankees 1954-55; Washington Nationals 1956; Washington Senators 1957-58; Boston Red Sox 1958; Detroit Tigers 1959-60
Died: April 6, 2004, Las Vegas, NV (age 74)
A steady defensive catcher with a strong arm for throwing out would-be base stealers, Lou Berberet played in parts of seven big league seasons, with most of his success coming in Washington. Berberet earned September call-ups in 1954 and 1955 with the Yankees, appearing in a combined seven games over the two seasons. A seven-player deal with the Nationals before the 1956 season gave Berberet a good home and more regular playing time. He was the opening day catcher for Washington in 1956, ultimately making 54 starts behind the plate in a three-way platoon with fellow catchers Clint Courtney (#159) and Ed FitzGerald (#198). He'd have another successful campaign in 1957, playing in 99 games while batting .261 and connecting for seven home runs and 36 RBIs. Berberet led all catchers with a 1.000 fielding percentage in 1957. He was dealt to the Red Sox on May 1, 1958 for infielder Ken Aspromonte, and after a season in Boston he was dealt to Detroit that December.
Berberet was the most frequently used catcher for Jimmy Dykes' Tigers team in 1959, appearing in 100 games overall, and reaching career highs in home runs (13) and RBIs (44). His last action in the majors came in 1960 and he was the most frequently used catcher for the Tigers in his final season. Berberet led the American League in caught stealing percentage in both 1956 and 1959. In 448 games, he collected 281 hits, batted .230 and swatted 31 home runs with 153 RBIs.
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| November 22, 2007 - Thanksgiving Day |
October 31, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchases - Card #313
Our first son Doug was born in December 2006, and this happy event led directly to my Dad visiting us on a more regular basis. Dad was living by himself at this point in Mays Landing, New Jersey and he detested the 40 minute ride north to our house. Among all the very positive memories I have of my Dad, one of my few negative memories is the fact that he absolutely seemed to loathe driving and that loathing increased exponentially if there was traffic or if it were dark. But he made the trips anyway, sometimes staying no more than an hour, because he was so incredibly anxious and excited to spend time with his grandson.
By the time his second grandson (Ben) was born in April 2010, my Dad's health had begun failing and whatever visits we had were pre-arranged or consisted of us visiting him. Which is why these visits during Doug's infancy and first few years are so special to me. My Dad would show up, ecstatic to see Doug, there would be some small talk and we'd complain about the Phillies, and then he'd leave. But on his way out, he'd always say he'd see us again in a few days and I'd look forward to these visits.
This background is needed to better explain how this Berberet card came into our set. In 2007, My Dad's days mostly consisted of an occasional round of golf, calls and visits to his kids - my sister and me, watching cable news, an afternoon nap and scouring eBay. Most (but not all) of his eBay purchases benefitted me in the form of 1956 Topps cards we needed for our set. He'd show up at our house for a visit with Doug and nonchalantly hand me one of his recent purchases. He handed me this Berberet card on Thanksgiving Day, as he was visiting with the rest of our family to enjoy Doug's first Thanksgiving.
Throughout 2007, I suspect he had a backlog of purchased 1956 Topps cards piled up on his desk at his house, and he'd grab one or two to deliver to me as he was heading out the door to make the 40 minute drive to visit Doug. Not to ruin the ending for this blog, but this is how we finished the 1956 Topps set. Not with one last glorious purchase at a baseball card show, but with my Dad systematically and methodically checking off cards from our checklist through eBay purchases.
Together with my Mom, he'd deliver the last 29 cards we needed to complete the set as a Christmas present to me that year.
The Card / Nationals Team Set
This is Berberet's rookie card, and like the Bob Wiesler (#327) card right before this one, the catcher is likely wearing all Yankees gear in both photos. The cartoon panels on the back celebrate his arrival in Washington, his minor league success and his strong defensive skills.
This is the last Nationals' card in the set, and not including the team card, there are 18 players featured in the Nationals team set. Of interest to probably only a few of us, Topps spelled out Nationals on 10 cards, and abbreviated the team name to Nate on eight cards, including Berberet's.
1956 Season
On February 8th, the Yankees dealt Berberet, Herb Plews, Dick Tettelbach, Wiesler and player to be named later Whitey Herzog to the Nationals for Bobby Kline and Mickey McDermott (#340). As noted above, Berberet and two other catchers shared catching duties for the club throughout the season, with Courtney's offensive numbers a little better than Berberet's.
1956 Season
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First Mainstream Card: 1956 Topps #329
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5): 1956-60
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1961 Post #43
16 - Berberet non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/8/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
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