The Dream of Quintin Berry

DETROIT —- His dream is coming true each and everyday!

Quintin Berry,28, arrived outside the Tiger clubhouse in Cleveland without fanfare and without too much celebration but after toiling away through the minor leagues for six long years, Berry is making a lot of noise that the Detroit Tiger’s manager Jim Leyland and the many baseball fans of the Tigers can’t ignore.

The Tigers called up Berry from Toledo the top farm team in the Detroit system back on May 23, 2012 when center fielder Austin Jackson was placed on the disability list for 15 days with a abdominal injury.

Berry packed up a few things including his wife and drove to the Ohio Turnpike for the one and a half hour drive from Toledo to Progressive Park the home of the Cleveland Indians.

“I was smiling all the way up here and feeling like I would never going to get here. My wife was in the back. She had coffee and she was going, talking and smiling,” Berry said about his trip. “It seemed like four or five hours. Every time somebody got in front of me, I was getting upset trying not to go too fast.”

Risking in getting a speeding ticket from the world famous Ohio Highway Patrol, any kind of minor car trouble or the unthinkable-a crash, Berry reached his destination and getting through the security at Progressive Field and making his way to the visitor’s clubhouse he reached for the door that opened up his new world and his dream.

Berry was drafted in 2006 by the San Diego Padres from San Diego State University and he has spent time in the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds organizations before signing with Detroit this past off season.

Berry’s quest now is to stay in Detroit and it is all up to him and he has been in the game long enough to understands that he will have to produce in the batter’s box, with his speed and with his ability to play a solid defense in able to keep wearing a Detroit uniform.

He is doing what ever the Tigers are asking because as he said Sunday after the Tigers defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-0, “I will do anything to stay!”

Berry posses an element that the Tigers aren’t known for in the American League and that is speed and that adds something to the Tigers offense.

He is perfect in nine steals and he has used his speed in the outfield to make some spectacular plays sometime not on purpose.

His first hit as a Detroit Tiger, Berry used his speed to force the Indians into a mistake.

The ball came off of Berry’s bat and sailed just out of the reach of Cleveland’s first baseman Casey Kotchman and then the ball skipped past Indian second baseman Jason Kipnis, Berry made it to safely into first base.

Kipnis slipped and could not recover and Berry took off for second base only to run right into Kipnis, who was called for interference.

“I was just trying to get it past Kotchman on the ground,” Berry said about his first major league hit. “I was just hoping it would get down, I didn’t think it would get past him, I got over.”

Berry is batting a cool .333 which includes a 5 for 5 day against the Rockies Sunday afternoon.

“I had a five-hit game in college at San Diego State University and I have never forgotten that,” Berry said. “So, even though that last one could have gone either way, I know that I will never forget this one.”

The five hits were singles and the last Tiger to have five hits in a game Brennan Boesch on June 6, 2011 against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas and the last time a Tiger went 5 for 5 at Comerica Park, Jackson in 2010 against the Angles.

Leyland is taking Berry’s performance in stride and he is not getting excited or feeling any pressure to place Berry in the starting line up everyday.

“We will have the best lineup on the field,” Leyland said

Berry is a player that many Tiger fans can identify with, he plays the game hard and he respect the chance that he is getting to complete his dream.

In the city of Detroit the citizens that live and work in this great city dream of better days and right now there is nothing sweeter than watching Berry’s dream come true.

Graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Journalism in the year 2002. Working for local newspaper as a beat writer covering Eastern Michigan University Football,basketball and baseball.