Denny Berni saw 3 pro seasons, helped young Joey Votto
Denny Berni never made the majors as a player. He saw three seasons.
One of his students at the business he established afterward, Pro Teach Baseball, however, went on to be a major league star: Joey Votto.
"When I first saw him he was a big strong kid," Berni told The Toronto Sun in 2014 upon Votto's induction into his hometown hall of fame. "He was cordial, a nice guy. No one knew he was going to be this great."
Berni's own career lasted those three seasons. He topped out at high-A.
Berni's career began in 1990, signed by the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent. He is a native of Toronto.
Berni played summer collegiate ball the previous summer in Lima, Ohio. His manager there, Darren Mazeroski, praised Berni's catching work along with a teammate in July 1989 to The Lima News.
"Both have done an outstanding job of blocking balls and handling pitchers," Mazeroski told The News. "Both have made a noticeable improvement."
Berni started with the Red Sox in the rookie Gulf Coast League and at short-season Elmira. He saw 69 games in all and hit .227.
He moved to high-A Lynchburg for 1991. He saw 83 games there and hit .229. He hit a solo home run in an August game, his only home run on the year.
Berni returned to Lynchburg for 1992. He saw 52 game that year and hit .217. That season proved his final as a pro.
The next year, he started Pro Teach. He held a baseball camp in British Columbia in 1996 and spoke to The Chilliwack Progress about his approach.
"We just try to pound the basics," Berni told The Progress then. "They all have different coaches over the years and they don't know everything."
Berni continues with Pro Teach in 2026.
- Lima News, July 15, 1989: Locos' pitching stands out at mid-season
- Chilliwack Progress, April 24, 1996: Teaching baseball's fundamentals
- Pointstreak, Toronto Sun, Nov. 6, 2014: Votto inducted into Etobicoke Hall of Fame
Made the Majors:1,482-31.6%
Never Made Majors:3,202-68.4%-X