Amidst the Stros disappointing season, slugger Lance Berkman (42 RCAA/28 HR’s/.403 OBA/.617 SLG/1.020 OPS) is having another outstanding season, slugging his way to production that is second only to the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols in the National League.
In last night’s Stros win over the Reds, Berkman whacked another two yaks, one of which was a 452 foot bomb that landed in the restaurant that overlooks centerfield at Minute Maid Park. Berkman, a happy-go-lucky, life-long Texan who is a genuinely nice fellow, commented after the game on his mighty home run:
“I think the waiter made a nice play.”
Berkman’s career stats are below. In the history of the Stros franchise, only Jeff Bagwell (stats below, also) has had better hitting statistics than Berkman at the same stage of his career. Berkman, who is 30, currently has 331 RCAA for his career and is about ready to overtake Craig Biggio (currently at 352 RCAA for his career) for second place on the Stros career RCAA list. At the completion of the season (1998) that coincided with his 30th birthday, Bags’ RCAA was 431, and Bags tops the Stros career RCAA list at 680.
It’s sometimes easy to overlook, but we have been blessed to have been able to watch in Bidg, Bags and Berkman the three best non-pitcher players in the history of the Houston Astros Baseball Club.
The abbreviations for the hitting stats are defined here.
He had a few more in the FSN interview.
Regarding how the groin injury is affecting him, he said he probably wouldn’t be making any steals and the Astros would just have to rethink their strategy of depending on his speed game.
As for the home runs, he said something like “Well, my bunt’s been off as of late.”
Does FSN have an archive of postgame interviews, because the wording and delivery were classic Lance and perfect slow-pitch comedy.
Don’t forget the River Rat mascot incident in the minors when a rehabbing Berkman snuck into the opposing team’s mascot locker room and put on the uniform and went out into the stadium and started dancing with fans.
Also, the quote about talking with catchers in the batter’s box “we’re not discussing Calvinism versus Arminianism or anything like that” was pretty good, too.
Berkman is a true original.