Houston Sports - Lance Berkman

Lance Berkman

Born: February 10, 1976

Sport: Baseball (All-American, 6-time All-Star, World Series Champion)

I'm in the process of getting another year older, and as part of my birthday celebrations I received a gift from my awesome mom that helped me decide who to write about this week.  As a lifelong Houston sports fan, I've had a few pieces of memorabilia that have found their way into my possession.  Like many kids, I started with baseball cards along with my brother, and we'd spend lots of time comparing and swapping cards we'd found, purchased, or traded for.  As time went on and we started attending games now and again, we would pick up collectables or give-away trinkets at games.  Bobbleheads, signed player pictures, jerseys, and even a World Series replica ring have found their way into my house.  And today, a new piece of Houston history found a new home at my address - a Lance Berkman signed baseball.  So let's take this week to find out more about a man who has called Houston his home at many stages of his baseball life.

An early 2000s view of the three Houston stadiums where Lance Berkman played

Lance Berkman was born and raised along the I-35 corridor between San Antonio and the DFW metroplex, spending his earliest years in Waco and Austin before moving to New Braunfels during high school.  His mother, Cynthia, was an athlete who had run track and his father, Larry, had played baseball for the University of Texas.  While coaching his young son, Larry insisted that Lance learn to bat from both sides of the plate, which served him well from his earliest years.  After the family moved out of Austin following Lance's sophomore year, he became a leader at Canyon High School on and off the field.  During his senior year in 1994 he was an honor student while also making the All District First Team, and his prowess both in school and sports earned Berkman a scholarship to Rice University.  Success came quickly as he set a record for doubles during his freshman season, but it was his sophomore season when Berkman began to display his power potential.  After hitting just six home runs in his first collegiate season, he matched that in a single double-header during his second during a which in which he hit a total of 9 round-trippers.  By the end of 1996 he had slugged his way to 20 home runs and a .398 batting average, leading the Owls to the final championship of the Southwest Conference.  The following year, everything came together for Berkman as Rice joined the Western Athletic Conference and won the offensive Triple Crown with a .431 average, 41 home runs, and 134 RBI while leading the school to their first-ever trip to the College World Series.  He was named an All-American and NCAA Player of the Year and chose to forego his senior season in favor of going pro.

When the 1997 draft came around, Lance Berkman found out he wasn't going to have to travel far from home, as he was selected 16th overall by the nearby Houston Astros.  The GM at the time indicated that a switch-hitter with as much power as Berkman had displayed was a rare commodity, and because the organization thought the presence of Jeff Bagwell at the major league level might hinder the young man if he continued playing first base, they decided to start his minor league career with a trial run at playing the outfield.  After impressing at high-A ball in 1997, Berkman was elevated rapidly to AA to start 1998 and then to AAA soon thereafter, where he smacked three home runs in his first game and was named the MVP of the team's triple-A World Series.  Expectations were high heading into 1999 and midway through the year he had performed well enough to earn a call-up to the major league club on July 16, playing a total of 34 games for Houston during the last season of the Astrodome.  Berkman bounced back and forth between the majors and minors until May of the 2000 season, when he managed to stick with the big club for good.  For the following 11 seasons, Berkman was a mainstay for the Astros, earning a place alongside veterans Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell to form what locals called the Killer Bs.  He was recognized as one of the best switch-hitters to ever play the game, putting up numbers that trailed only legends like Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray, and Chipper Jones, while leading the league in doubles twice and RBI once.  He was named to the National League All-Star team five times and competed in the Home Run Derby four times, placing as high as second.  Berkman endeared himself with fans in the city by being very open and honest with reporters, especially about his Christian faith, and by having a self-effacing sense of humor that poked fun at his playing weight.  Despite being considered chubby by some, he turned in defensive gems in the outfield, including an often-played highlight catch while running up Houston's unusual Tal's Hill, deep in center field.  Probably his most memorable postseason moment came during game 4 of the 2005 NLDS when he launched a grand slam that sparked a come-from-behind victory in 18 innings, eventually propelling the Astros to their first-ever World Series appearance.

After 2008, Lance Berkman's production and consistency began to decline at the same time many star players were being implicated for steroid and performance-enhancing drug use.  Berkman loudly voiced his frustration with those who were found to have gained such an unfair advantage, as well as the idea that he may have been lumped in among the guilty parties simply because he was a power hitter in an era of inflated offensive numbers.  The team experienced a similar swoon after their 2005 playoff run, with the majority of veterans retiring or leaving Houston, and after playing several years without making the postseason Berkman began making comments about wanting to play for a winner again before the end of his career.  The Astros obliged, trading Berkman to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline in 2010, who used him at first base and designated hitter but declined to pick up his option after their postseason run ended.  He signed with the Cardinals and had a big year, being selected to his final All-Star team before being named the 2011 NL Comeback Player of the Year.  Like Berkman, the team had a big comeback after trailing in the standings by 10 1/2 games with only 21 left to play.  But a furious 16-5 finish to the year, coupled with Atlanta struggling to a 7-15 record, allowed St. Louis to earn the wild card playoff position, and they continued their hot streak all the way to a 7-game World Series victory over the Texas Rangers.  It was the last productive year for Berkman, however, who played one more season for the Cardinals and another for the Rangers before retiring after the 2013 season.  He joined friend and former teammate Roy Oswalt in signing symbolic one-day contracts with Houston to officially end their careers as Astros.  Having spent the bulk of his playing career in the city, Berkman's next chapter kept him here.  In 2015 he began coaching baseball at Houston's Second Baptist High School with former teammate Andy Pettitte acting as his assistant, and the following year they led the team to a state title.  After making the move to college ball as an assistant for the University of St. Thomas, Berkman was named the head coach of Houston Baptist University's baseball team (now Houston Christian University) where he coached from 2021-24.  His number was retired by Canyon High School, and he has been named to the NCAA College Baseball Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and Houston Astros Hall of Fame.  In addition to being remembered as one of the best hitters in baseball during his career, Berkman is also beloved for his generosity and character.  He was listed by Forbes magazine as one of the most generous celebrities in 2012, and along with his wife, Cara, has long been involved with children's charities, disaster relief, and a pair of foundations he created.

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