Justin Berg

Background

Berg's path to the majors began in Wisconsin, where he played high school baseball for the Antigo Red Robins. He started his college career at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa before being drafted by the New York Yankees in the 43rd round of the 2003 MLB draft with the 1,290th overall pick. Instead of signing immediately, he spent the summer of 2003 with the Wisconsin Woodchucks, winning a Northwoods League championship. He then played a season at Triton College in Illinois before signing with the Yankees.

His professional career started in 2004 with the Staten Island Yankees of the New York–Penn League. On August 27, 2005, the Yankees traded Berg to the Chicago Cubs for Matt Lawton, a reigning All-Star. In 2011, he pitched only twelve innings in the majors. After Tommy John surgery in September 2011, he was removed from the Cubs' 40-man roster but returned to their farm system in 2012.

Before the 2013 season, Berg signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies and spent the year with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in the Pacific Coast League. From 2014 to 2016, he pitched in the independent Atlantic League for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, also playing in 2015 for San Marino in the Italian Baseball League. His playing career ended in 2016 due to a hip injury.