"If he were presented with four words, (a) dreading, (b) apprehensive, (c) anxious or (d) eager, Lance Berkman likely would fall somewhere between (a) and (c) about returning to Houston, where he starred for the Astros for a decade.

The Cardinals outfielder, who still lives in Houston and sent his family in a day ahead of time before the start of a three-game series tonight at Minute Maid Park, said, "I'm not crazy about going back in there. I felt like I've kind of turned the page and part of me just wants to be done with it. But I know I'm going to have to go back in there and face a lot of questions.

"I guess it's inevitable. When I signed here, I knew we were going to go in there three times, so I'm ready to go and to get all the hoopla, if there is going to be any, out of the way."

Berkman, a .297 hitter for his career, batted .305 with 151 homers in the 779 games he played at Minute Maid with the Astros. But after slumping to .248 last year when he played for the Astros and New York Yankees following knee surgery in the spring, he is among the National League leaders in hitting at .377 as he makes what he hopes to be a triumphant return.

Berkman granted that going back to Houston would be an even more difficult experience if he wasn't hitting well.

"It would be embarrassing," he said. "You don't want them to be able to say, 'Well, we were right to get rid of him.' It will be nice to walk in there feeling like I'm swinging the bat pretty well."

Berkman is riding a five-game hitting streak at 10 for 17 and has 12 extra-base hits - a club-high six homers and six doubles. He has played the outfield in sprightly fashion and has run the bases well."