Dave Bergman, 1984 World Series Champion with Tigers, Dies at Age 61

Former Major League Baseball player Dave Bergman, who was a member of the 1984 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers, passed away at the age of 61 on Feb. 2.  

The Tigers released a statement on Bergman's death that came after a bout with cancer, courtesy of Jason Beck of MLB.com:

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It is with heavy hearts we extend our condolences to the family of Dave Bergman. Dave was as spirited a person as he was a player. He will forever hold a special place in Tigers history for the versatile roles he played, and his significant contributions as a member of the 1984 world champion Tigers. We will miss seeing 'Bergie' at the ballpark and in the community.

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Actor Jeff Daniels also tweeted out a message to his friend after learning of Bergman's passing:

Bergman had one of the most fascinating MLB careers. He played at least parts of 17 years in the big leagues, starting with the New York Yankees in 1975, but only played 100 games twice from 1975-1983.

The Tigers acquired Bergman prior to the 1984 season, which was his breakout year with a .273/.351/.417 slash line in 120 games. He would spend the final nine years of his career with Detroit, doing anything the team needed him to by spending time at first base and the outfield. 

Bergman was never the key player on a team, but his skill set was such that he always had a job. He ended his career with a solid .348 on-base percentage and struck out 347 times in 2,679 at-bats, per Baseball-Reference.com. 

In today's era where utility players are more valuable than ever, Bergman helped pave the way for them with his ability to play multiple positions and do enough things offensively to stick in the big leagues for nearly two full decades.