Full Name : William Lance Berkman
Born : February 10, 1976
Hometown : Waco, Texas
Height : 6' 1
Weight : 220 lbs
Bats : Switch
Throws : Left
Major League Baseball debut : July 16, 1999 for the Houston Astros6-1
Family : wife, Cara Baker; children, 3
Primary Position : FB (First baseman)
Switch-hitters who can get on base consistently are hard to come by, but those who can hit for power are considered extremely exceptional. Lance Berkman, unlike many, can do both. Born on February 10, 1976, in Waco, Texas, Berkman is known as one of the most versatile athletes to play the game. After showing his range of skills throughout high school, Berkman had the honor of being selected to play at Rice University, one of the most prestigious baseball colleges in the nation. While attending Rice, Berkman earned the reputation as one of the greatest college baseball players in the country. During 1997 (which was Berkman's junior year), Lance set a Rice record by batting .431. It was also during that year that he was awarded with National Player of the Year honors by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association.
As a result of his success throughout college, Berkman was selected as the 16th overall pick by the Houston Astros in the 1997 draft. When he debuted as an Astro in 1999, he was forced to play the outfield despite playing first base throughout his entire high school and college career. This was due to the fact that Jeff Bagwell already occupied the position. Either way, Berkman became an everyday player for the Houston organization as the team could not afford to have his bat out of the lineup. Lance definitely got used to the outfield; he played left, center, and right during his early stint with Houston. Astros fans learned of Lance's power when he belted 42 homers during the 2002 season.
It wasn't until the 2005 season that Lance saw consistent playing time at first base after Jeff Bagwell was put on the disabled list. During that year, he appeared in just 132 games after playing in a career-high 160 games the season before. Suffering from some time on the disabled list, Berkman's offensive numbers dwindled (24 homers, 82 RBI's). He did, however, play a vital role in the National League Division Series when he hit a grand slam to bring the Astros within reach of the Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately, Houston would end up making the World Series but losing to the Chicago White Sox in a four-game sweep.
As a switch hitter, Berkman definitely poses as a threat to pitchers due to his tremendous power. He is one of just two players in major league history to hit 40 or more homers in multiple seasons while batting from both sides of the plate. Berkman has also appeared in four all-star games and though he has never won a Most Valuable Player award, he has been in the top five in voting on three separate occasions. No doubt a fan favorite in Houston, Berkman will go down as one of the most versatile athletes to play the game.
|
