Lance Berkman, Retired


Date of Birth: 2/10/1976
Birthplace: Waco, Texas
College: Rice University

Lance Berkman played for most of his career in the major leagues with the Houston Astros. In July of 2010, he was traded by the Astros to the New York Yankees. The following year, he signed on with the St. Louis Cardinals and stayed with them through the 2012 season. This year marks his first year with the Rangers and his second time as a designated hitter (he was DH and a backup first baseman for the Yankees).

Berkman showed great promise as a major leaguer while still in college, with a batting average of .385. The Astros drafted him in 1998 and sent him to one of their minor league teams. A year later, he made his first appearance with the Astros. He started as an outfielder but in 2005, Berkman became the Astros' regular first baseman.

Berkman announced his retirement on January 29, 2014. He became the head baseball coach at a school in Houston, Texas, in 2015.

Some of Berkman's accomplishments include:

  • National League leader in doubles in 2001 with 55
  • National League RBI leader in 2002 with 128
  • National League record holder for most RBIs in one season as a switch hitter
  • one of only two major league switch hitters to hit 40 or more home runs in more than one season
  • 2011 NL Comeback Player of the Year

Berkman's statistics for the 14 seasons from 1999 through 2012 include:

  • 5 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .331 in 2001
  • 11 seasons with over 20 home runs, with a high of 45 in 2006
  • 9 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 55 in 2001
  • 6 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 136 in 2006

Career statistics for Berkman through the 2012 season include:

  • 1,806 games played
  • 360 home runs
  • 412 doubles
  • 1,843 hits
  • 1,200 RBIs

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Lance Berkman
ESPN Sports - Lance Berkman