Lance Berkman
Lance Berkman was known as one of the members of the Houston Astros' "Killer B's" lineup early in his career, and while the other two are already in the Hall of Fame, Berkman is the one who has a World Series ring and a place on my list of the greatest players of all time.
Berkman reached the big leagues in 1999, and although he had played first base all his life, was placed in the outfield because Jeff Bagwell was already the starter at first, and wasn't going anywhere soon, so he spent the first 6 years of his career playing in an unnatural position, but it was worth it to get his bat in the lineup.
During his 12 seasons as an Astro, he reached 30 doubles 7 times, 30 home runs 5 times, and a .300 average 4 times, and also led the league in RBI's once. Houston was a perennial contender, and made 3 playoff runs, each time getting one step farther than the previous appearance, culminating in a World Series trip in 2005, where they lost to the White Sox. Berkman was the lone Astro star who played well in the Series, getting 5 hits, 5 walks, and 6 RBI in the four game sweep, while Bagwell and Biggio combined for 5 hits, 1 walk, and 1 RBI.
His production began to decline in 2009, and midway through 2010 he was traded away to the Yankees, where he played mostly DH, which still didn't help the aging star, and he was released at the season's end.
He signed on with the Saint Louis Cardinals, where he experienced a renaissance, batting .301 with 31 homers and making the All-Star team for the 6th time, which earned him the Comeback Player of the Year Award. He also helped the Cardinals win the World Series that year, and he wasn't just along for the ride. He led all players in the series with 11 hits, posting a .423 average, and played a major role in game 6, when he hit a home run in the first inning, scored a run with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth to help send the game to extra innings, then earned an RBI in the bottom of the tenth to tie the game again.
It would be the last hurrah for Berkman. He played two more seasons, but spent far more time on the disabled list than on the field, which prompted him to retire in 2013. At the time, he was #4 all time in home runs among switch hitters, behind Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray, and Chipper Jones. Throughout his career, he always played at another level in the playoffs, and as a result he was able to become a champion before he retired.
No comments:
Post a Comment