WHY I THINK LANCE BERKMAN SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK LANCE BERKMAN SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Lance Berkman: “What a hitter!” 

Lance Berkman is one of the elite power hitters so far in the 21st century. His batting, slugging, and on base skills made him one of the best overall hitters of the 2000’s. One of Houston’s famous “Killer B’s” (Biggio, Bagwell, and Berkman) and the only one of the three still outside of Cooperstown, he was probably the best hitter of them all. Berkman also helped his teams make five postseasons, and he simply dominated pitchers in the most important games of the season. Lance Berkman started his career with the Astros in 1999, knocking four homers in 93 at bats. He reached rookie status in 2000 and became one of the top hitters of the decade. In 2001, Berkman batted .331 with 34 homers and 126 RBI’s; in 2002, he upped his home run total by eight and led the NL with 128 RBI’s. In 2006, Berkman batted .315 with career highs in homers (45) and RBI’s (136), the latter two figures setting NL highs among switch hitters (he had also broken the records for doubles, 55 in 2001, and walks, 127 in 2004). Berkman hit 25 homers in 2009 but had an off year in 2010 (122 games, .248 average). He came back with the Cardinals in 2011 with one last signature performance, batting .301 with 31 homers. He was a vital part of the Cards’ World Series victory, as he batted .423 in the seven games and scored nine runs. Berkman played parts of the next two seasons before his retirement. Lance Berkman was a marvelous hitter, an awesome slugger, and a player who had a huge impact on his clubs. The only real success that the Astros ever had came in the Killer B years, and without Berkman, those teams wouldn’t have gotten very far. The top two hitters of the 2000’s (2000-2009) were probably Berkman and Albert Pujols, and when the two of them became teammates in 2011, their Cardinals won the World Series. Berkman should have been an easy Hall of Famer; his plaque is one of the Hall of Fame’s most glaring omissions. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,879 season high: 160 in 2004 

At Bats career: 6,491 season high: 578 in 2002 

Hits career: 1,905 season high: 191 in 2001 

Doubles career: 422 season high: 55 in 2001 led NL: 55 in 2001, 46 in 2008 

Triples career: 30 season high: 6 in 2003 

Home Runs career: 366 season high: 45 in 2006 

Runs career: 1,146 season high: 114 in 2008 

Runs Batted In career: 1,234 season high: 136 in 2006 

Stolen Bases career: 86 season high: 18 in 2008 

Walks career: 1,201 season high: 127 in 2004 

Strikeouts career: 1,300 season high: 125 in 2007 

Batting Average career: .293 season high: .331 in 2001 

On Base Percentage career: .406 season high: .450 in 2004 

Slugging Percentage career: .537 season high: .621 in 2006 

Total Bases career: 3,485 season high: 358 in 2001 

Sacrifice Hits career: 1 season high: 1 in 2003 

Fielding Percentage career: .991 season high: .996 in 2008 led NL 1B: .996 in 2008 

Double Plays career: 626 season high: 122 in 2008 and 2009 

Putouts career: 7,899 season high: 1,240 in 2008 

Assists career: 629 season high: 132 in 2008 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Puma” 

-finished third in the NL MVP Award voting in 2002 and 2006, fifth in 2001 and 2008, seventh in 2007 and 2011, and 14th in 2005 

-batted .300 in six career all-star games 

-finished sixth in the NL Rookie of the Year Award voting in 2000 

-was the 2011 NL Comeback Player of the Year 

-won two career NL Player of the Month awards and six NL Player of the Week awards 

-his 136 RBI’s in 2006 set a new Astros’ season record 

-three times had a seasonal OPS over 1.000 

-homered on September 21 every year from 2001 through 2007, the most consecutive years hitting a home run on the same date 

-batted .317/.417/.532 with nine homers in 52 career postseason games, including .410 in two World Series 

-singled in the tying run in the tenth inning of Game 6 of the World Series with two outs, staving off elimination 

-ranks 48th in career OBP, 40th in slugging percentage, 30th in OPS (.943), and 41st in intentional walks (160) 

-also played 166 games in centerfield, 104 as a DH, 77 as a pinch hitter, and three as a pinch runner 

-was inducted into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame in 2019 and into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2009