Brandon and wife Carrie had their first child, Marcus, following the 2001 season...graduated from Beechwood High School
in Ft. Mitchell, Ky. in 1993...attended Eastern Kentucky University...was signed by Wil Rutenschroer...participated in Royals
Instructional Youth Clinics and is involved with the "Touch 'Em All" project through the Garth Brooks Foundation...resides in
Fort Mitchell, Ky.
2004
Combined for 26 HRs and 89 RBI between three levels in the Royals organization.
Began the season with Double-A Wichita before having his contract purchased by Royals on 5/21.
Played in 11 games with KC, going 7-for-35 (.200) with two doubles and two RBI.
Tied a career high with three hits on 6/3 at DET and also scored three times in the Royals 9-6 win.
Was designated for assignment on 6/13 and reported to Wichita on 6/17.
Finished with a .281 batting average with 12 HRs and 50 RBI in 70 games for Wichita.
Named Texas League Player of the Week for 6/29-7/4, after going 12-for-27 (.444) with three 2Bs, 3 HRs and 10 RBI.
Was transferred to Triple-A Omaha on 7/22 and finished the season there, batting .233 with 14 homers and 37 RBI in
39 games.
Hit safely in 28 of his 39 games at Omaha, including a nine-game hitting streak from 7/30-8/12 (.333, 12-for-36, 17 RBI).
Posted four straight multi-RBI games from 7/30-8/3 (11 RBI) and five multi-RBI games in a stretch of six games from
7/26-8/3 (15 RBI). Posted 11 multi-RBI games total at Omaha.
2003
Made the Opening Day roster for the second straight season and batted .219 (7-32) with three RBI in 13 games for
KC...made his first Opening Day start on 3/31 vs. CWS, starting in right field...scored the first run of the season for KC on a
single by Angel Berroa in the 2nd inning...collected a season-high in hits and RBI at CWS on 4/15, going 2-5 with two
RBI...was optioned to Omaha (AAA) on 5/6 and spent the remainder of the season with the club...batted .270 with 12 HRs and
53 RBI in 62 games...named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for 6/30-7/6 after hitting .419 with 21 RBI during the
seven-game stretch.
2002
Made the Opening Day roster for the 1st time in his career and played in 51 games for the Royals...he hit .201, going 27-134 with 6 homers and 17 RBI.
Made 4 different tours with the Royals...was optioned to Omaha on April 21 to make room when Bryan Rekar was added to the 25-man roster.
Was recalled from Omaha on May 7 when Brent Mayne was placed on the D.L. and optioned on May 20 when Mayne returned.
Was recalled from Omaha on June 6 and optioned to Omaha on July 20...was also recalled from Omaha on Sept. 6.
Had a career-best 3 hits vs. Cleveland on May 10 and drove in a career-best 4 runs vs. St. Louis on June 7...hit a career-best 2 home runs in the game vs. St. Louis.
Hit .291 for Omaha with 30 extra-base hits and 47 RBI...finished 5th on the team with 13 home runs despite playing in just 68 games.
Has hit 8 career home runs, with 4 off Chicago's Mark Buehrle.
2001
Berger was named Royals Minor League Player of the Year after hitting .308
in 120 games for Wichita (AA) with a Texas League-high 40 home runs, 4 shy of
the organization's Minor League record...he also led the league with 71
extra-base hits and a .648 slugging percentage. Ranked 2nd among all
Minor Leaguers in homers (Phil Hiatt, Las Vegas - 44 HR)...set a Wichita
franchise mark and became the 1st Texas Leaguer with a 40-homer season since
1964. Received just 36 at bats over the season's 1st month, but emerged as an
everyday starter and led the Wranglers in hits (140), runs (98), doubles (28)
and RBI (118). Hit .331 (108-for-326) in 81 games after May with 26 doubles and
31 homers...hit just .250 in his first 39 games with 6 doubles and 9 home runs.
Led all Royals Minor Leaguers in home runs and RBI, while finishing 2nd in
average behind Ken Harvey's .350 mark.
Had his contract purchased from Wichita (AA) by the Royals on Sept. 8 and
made his Major League debut at Texas on Sept. 9 as a pinch runner in the 9th
inning...he made his 1st start in left field at Cleveland on Sept. 18. Recorded
his 1st Major League hit on Sept. 23 at Chicago, going 2-for-3...his 2nd hit was
his 1st big league home run, a 411-foot solo shot off Mark Buehrle in the 8th
inning of a 10-2 loss. Played in the Arizona Fall League following the
season...led the team with 4 home runs and added 15 RBI.
Minor League Notes
Berger ranked 2nd in average, 4th in hits and 5th in HR and RBI in the Northwest League in 1996.
Named to Carolina League All-Star team in 1999 and tied for 4th in batting average...finished 5th in the league in average in 2000 and led Wilmington with 15 home runs and 71 RBIs.
