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Lance Berkman News & Rumors

Holliday, Berkman will take on bigger roles
January 20
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"It is called an intangible. But its presence within a clubhouse is almost tactile. Reliever Kyle McClellan believes its value can equate to five wins in a season, maybe more. Without it, a 162-game schedule may seem endless. With it, a team augments its resiliency. It is known as chemistry, or mix. Admittedly challenged in that department in 2010, the Cardinals rescued themselves last season by calling upon one another's pride and professionalism during a late August meeting that arguably came at the summer's low point. Less than a month shy of returning to Jupiter, Fla., in defense of an improbable World Series title, the club again wonders about its vibe. "When you look at 2010, we just"
Berkman may be perfect candidate for Astros' first full-time DH in 2013
January 16
Houston Chronicle
 
"This time next year the Astros will be involved in a different kind of search – pursuing a permanent designated hitter as the organization prepares for its first season in the American League West. Over the years, Houston has used the opportunity of interleague games to rest some of its regulars and get others at bats in the regular lineup. Though Carlos Lee has taken most of the DH ABs recently, both Jason Michaels and Lance Berkman have had drawn some of the assignments. Jeff Bagwell, Berkman, Lee and even Craig Biggio have served as the Astros' DH over the years, but mostly only to give their bodies a break from playing in the field a few games."
Berkman calls Astros potential move to the American League 'a travesty'
November 9
Houston Chronicle
 
"Lance Berkman's slip of the tongue wasn't your average inadvertent trip back through time like referring to the AL wild card winners as the "Devil Rays" or that tower next to the Galleria as whichever name was the old one. Oh, it was definitely an unintentional slip, but when Berkman – now cashing checks originating from St. Louis – referred Tuesday to the Astros as "we," there was more to it. Even as he revels in the memory of his Cardinals winning the World Series, a memory fresher than some still-potable cartons of milk at just 12 days young, Berkman still considers himself a Houstonian. It's a bond with the city that did not end when Berkman was traded away in July 2010 and certainly"
Berkman comes up 'huge' for Cardinals this season
October 30
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"When the Cardinals signed Lance Berkman to a one-year contract last December they hoped to obtain a veteran switch-hitter with enough legs to return to the outfield and enough clubhouse presence to enhance a chemistry that had grown stale bordering on sullen. Not until Berkman arrived in spring training did general manager John Mozeliak fully comprehend that they had acquired a talent as adept at quoting Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and discussing the merits of hitting from the fetal position as he was citing the value of on-base percentage. Even more important, the Cardinals soon realized that the trust they had placed in Berkman to show up in camp healthier and, hence, more productive than in"
Cards move Berkman to cleanup spot
October 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals spent the aftermath of Wednesday's Game 6 postponement answering questions about their status as an offensive contradiction: They bludgeoned the Texas Rangers in Game 3 for a franchise World Series record 16 runs and endured four games of missed chances, tough lefthanded pitching and fuzzy strike zones. After leading the National League in runs this season, the Cardinals face elimination tonight at Busch Stadium because they have averaged fewer than two runs in the four games when Albert Pujols hasn't contributed three home runs. For the moment, Rangers manager Ron Washington perceives a weakness and doesn't care if everyone knows about it. He is willing to make the"
Former Astros star Berkman stays true to form for Cardinals
October 20
Houston Chronicle
 columnist Richard Justice
"C.J. Wilson found a note from Lance Berkman in his locker at this summer's All-Star Game. "Congratulations on your success," it read. "I guess I was wrong. Not the first time." They can both laugh about it now because, well, things have turned out all right. Berkman stepped on some toes last winter when he took a seat in the studio at 1560 AM in Houston and discussed why he'd signed with the Cardinals instead of the Rangers. "I felt like if they didn't re-sign Cliff Lee, they were going to be an average team," Berkman said. "And I feel that's probably what's going to end up happening.""
Berkman, Ellsbury earn Comeback awards
October 13
MLB.com
 
"All-Star outfielders Lance Berkman of the Cardinals and Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox were named the winners of the 2011 Comeback Player of the Year Awards on Thursday, as the annual rollout of Major League Baseball's individual hardware got under way. Berkman, 35, recaptured the form he showed for many seasons in Houston, and he is a key reason why St. Louis is in the midst of a National League Championship Series battle against Milwaukee. He hit .301 with 31 home runs and 94 RBIs, a .412 on-base percentage and a .547 slugging percentage, after batting a combined .248 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs between the Astros and Yankees last season. He ranked among the NL leaders in homers (tied"
Allen Craig to start for Berkman in Game 4
October 13
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Manager Tony La Russa expects to start Allen Craig in right field tonight against problematic lefthander Randy Wolf in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series. Berkman, who is a career 3-for-32 against Wolf, took a pitch off the right thigh during the seventh inning of Tuesday's 4-3 win. Responsible for the Cardinals' first three RBI of the postseason with a three-run home run off Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay in Game 1 of the Division Series, Berkman has since generated two RBI in 27 at-bats. He is hitting .300 (3-for-10) in the NLCS."
Berkman enjoys a return to form
September 30
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"To Lance Berkman, this season has been about meeting rather than exceeding expectations. A player who came to the Cardinals as a well-worn free agent first baseman enters the postseason as one of the National League's most productive outfielders. A team projected to miss the playoffs after the loss of ace Adam Wainwright travels this morning to Philadelphia, where it will begin a best-of-five division series Saturday against the five-time NL East champion Phillies. Others may be impressed. Berkman believes an often-trying season has brought him and the Cardinals to an appropriate place. "To me, this is what this team is capable of," Berkman asserted before the Cardinals completed their"
Berkman, Cards agree on one-year extension
September 22
MLB.com
 
"Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman has agreed to a one-year contract extension, the team announced on Thursday. Berkman, 35, has been a standout for the Cardinals this season, ranking among National League leaders in home runs (31), slugging percentage (.555), on-base percentage (.412) and batting average (.300), while playing a solid outfield. Named an All-Star starter this year (his sixth selection), Berkman is batting .355 with runners in scoring position (second in the NL) and .394 during the Cardinals' September charge for a playoff berth. A free agent last offseason, he joined St. Louis on a one-year, $8 million contract."
Berkman talks hit a speed bump
September 20
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals and pending free agent first baseman Lance Berkman remain engaged in talks regarding a one-year contract. After the talks showed initial signs of promise, an agreement remains elusive because of a difference of opinion over its worth, according to sources familiar with the process. Berkman confirmed Monday that negotiations have been ongoing and reiterated his desire to return to the club that signed him last December to a one-year, $8 million deal that became one of this season's best values. "We've been pretty clear what it would take," Berkman said. "I want to make clear this is not an adversarial situation. They want to get a deal done as well. But they have a bunch of"
Berkman on trade: 'That ship has sailed'
August 30
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman has informed general manager John Mozeliak that he would not consider returning to the club as a free agent this winter if he is traded this week to the Texas Rangers. Berkman Tuesday afternoon expressed strong distaste for being assigned a role as "a rental player" for a second straight season. Informed over the weekend of the Rangers' interest, Berkman said he made clear his preference is to return to the Cardinals in 2012, but a trade would cause him to re-evaluate the position. "I don't want to be traded. I don't think they want to trade me," Berkman said. "Obviously, 'Mo' has an obligation as the general manager to listen. But I think myself and"
Nolan Ryan confirms Rangers' interest in Berkman
August 30
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan confirmed in a radio interview that the team will explore the possibility of trading for Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman. Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz suffered a hamstring injury Sunday and will be sidelined at least three weeks. The Dallas Morning News reported Monday that Berkman was the club's "prime target" should the Rangers go outside the organization to replace Cruz, who has 28 homers and 84 RBIs. Speaking on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM, Ryan said: "Obviously with Nellie going out like he is, not knowing when he's going to be back and we got a tough schedule ahead of us, anything we can do to help the ballclub, we're certainly going to look at it."
Berkman among Rangers' options if Cruz replacement needed
August 29
Dallas Morning News
 
"St. Louis' Lance Berkman is the top alternative should the Texas Rangers decide they need an outfielder to fill in for the injured Nelson Cruz. Cruz came out of Sunday's win against the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth inning because of a strained left hamstring. The Rangers are awaiting results of tests, but manager Ron Washington indicated after the game that the club expects to be without Cruz for a significant period. ``We're waiting on Nellie's MRI before we do anything,'' general manager Jon Daniels said on Monday morning. ``But more than likely, any moves we make will be from inside the organization.""
Berkman: Afternoon starts, shadows haunt Cards
August 28
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman has a theory, or at least a gripe. For a second consecutive Saturday, the Cardinals found themselves on the wrong end of a nationally televised afternoon shutout, this time against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a tilt that ended in deep shadows. Berkman, among the most vocal team members when it comes to playing conditions, complained after a 7-0 loss that game times should be a topic for debate within the game's next collective bargaining agreement. "It's not even a competition. I don't think either team got a hit after the fifth inning," Berkman said. The Cardinals actually scraped for three of their seven hits after the fifth inning but failed to break"
Berkman rescues Redbirds
August 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The renaissance of Lance Berkman has been one of the highlights of a Cardinals season that is likely to lack a lot of tangible fulfillment. But Berkman put up a number Friday night that is worth discussing. With the Cardinals trailing the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 in the eighth inning, Berkman ripped his 30th homer, a two-run smash into the Cardinals' bullpen in right, and the Cardinals had their first winning streak in more than two weeks. Granted, that streak is two, but it is progress. The Cardinals beat the Pirates 5-4 after knocking them off 8-4 the night before, when they were aided by a key eighth-inning home run from Matt Holliday. Berkman, who banged only 14 home runs last year with"
Berkman says he'll play in 2012 if he gets offer from right team
August 20
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Pending free agent Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman says he would entertain another one-year contract following this season but added that he would also be prepared to retire if not approached by one of a handful of contending teams. "At this stage of my career it's safe to say that if I'm not thrilled with the opportunities out there for me after this season, this would be it," Berkman said before the Cardinals' series opener Friday against the Chicago Cubs. Berkman, 35, underscored that he has achieved more than he ever envisioned as a major-league player and no longer motivated himself through statistics or money. "If I'm playing, I want to be playing for more than just numbers,""
Berkman says retirement is possible after season
August 19
CBSSports.com
 
"Lance Berkman is having an impressive year, bouncing back from a dispiriting 2010 that saw him leave Houston, where he had spent his entire big-league career, and join the Yankees for a brief, forgettable stint. Written off as a viable player, the surprise and scorn by the public was evident when the Cardinals inked Berkman to a one-year deal worth $8 million to play right field. Somehow, it's worked out so far. While Berkman's defense leaves much to be desired, he's hitting at a clip not seen since 2006, as he's bashed 28 home runs with a line of .294/.407/.583 over 435 plate appearances. Now, Berkman's going to be in demand as a free agent. Even being 35 won't faze teams who will be glad"
Berkman doubles, triples his pleasure
August 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Veteran Lance Berkman has done many things in his first season with the Cardinals. But tonight he achieved something he hadn't done in nearly three years. Berkman doubled and tripled in the same game. He tripled for the first time this season and scored the Cardinals' second run in the fourth inning at Sun Life Stadium against the Florida Marlins. Then, in the eighth inning of a tie game, after Berkman had made a strong running catch in the bottom of the seventh, Berkman doubled to drive in the go-ahead run as the Cardinals held on for a 3-2 victory. Albert Pujols doubled high off the left-center-field wall to open the eighth inning. Matt Holliday, the cleanup hitter who had homered for"
Berkman proves he's back in the swing of things
August 1
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Back in the lineup Sunday after missing most of the week with a shoulder ailment, Lance Berkman said when the calendar flipped to August this morning there are few things that should keep him from batting fifth. "I'm back until I can't walk back out there," the switch-hitting veteran said. "This is when you go to the whip." For the second time this season, Berkman returned from receiving a cortisone shot to crack a home run in his first game. His three-run homer extended his league-leading total to 28 homers and it provided all of the runs the Cardinals scored in a 6-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs and their starter, Ryan Dempster. Afterward, Berkman took quick measure of the Cardinals' 54"
Berkman has injection in sore shoulder
July 28
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman hopes to return to the lineup no later than Friday after accepting a cortisone injection to his problematic right shoulder Wednesday afternoon. Berkman, rested Monday before being forced from Tuesday's game by shoulder discomfort, suffered a strain in a muscle behind the shoulder during his final at-bat Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Berkman described an awkward swing in which his body went one way and his shoulder another as causing the strain. "It was really a move I can't remember making before," said Berkman, who had an MRI before the injection. "I could tell something wasn't quite right but hoped it wasn't anything serious.""
Berkman aggravates right shoulder injury
July 27
MLB.com
 
"Lance Berkman was removed from Tuesday night's 3-1 victory over the Astros when his sore right shoulder acted up again, and it may have been a precursor to Berkman missing a few more days. The Cardinals outfielder will visit with a doctor on Wednesday to have the joint examined, and he could receive a shot of anti-inflammatory medicine at that time. Berkman first felt something amiss during Sunday's loss to the Pirates, and he sat out Monday's home game. He returned to the lineup on Tuesday but took only two at-bats before feeling a recurrence of the discomfort when he grounded out in the fourth inning. The issue is in the area of the rotator cuff of his non throwing shoulder. "Honestly,"
Berkman leaves game after experiencing shoulder discomfort
July 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 (scroll down)
"A home run that needed a review to be verified left the Houston Astros fuming and proved to be the difference in the Cardinals' victory Tuesday. But it was a later homer the Cardinals hope is a preview of a difference ahead. Albert Pujols tagged a two-run homer in the first inning to put the Cardinals up and David Freese added a solo shot in the sixth to back Jake Westbrook in a 3-1 win at Busch Stadium. With Matt Holliday home with a stomach illness and Lance Berkman removed in the fourth inning because of a shoulder injury, Freese's potential power surge took on added import and overshadowed the griping about whether Pujols' homer left the ballpark. Berkman will have an MRI taken of the"
Berkman sits after strain in rotator cuff
July 26
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The play had looked strange enough already. In the ninth inning of Sunday's Cardinals game in Pittsburgh, Lance Berkman had singled to left center, with Pirates shortstop Ronny Cedeno breaking to his left after the ball was hit only to find the ball going through the infield to his right. Berkman said he felt nothing at the time as he reached for an outside fastball while hitting lefthanded. But he said that when he got to first base, he felt a mild strain in his right rotator cuff (Berkman is a lefthanded thrower). "Clearly there was something funny," said Berkman, "because the ball went one way and the shortstop ran up the middle. There was something not right about it. Maybe my shoulder"
Berkman: The DH 'is not baseball'
July 12
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"There is a designated hitter every year now in the All-Star Game. And, though he has done that once in a while as a National Leaguer in interleague play and when he played last year with the New York Yankees, Cardinals All-Star outfielder Lance Berkman, who is 35 years old, has no use for it now. Or in his ballplaying future. "If I can't play in the field, I'm not going to play," Berkman said during today's All-Star Game press sessions. "I'm not going to sit on the bench. That's 100 percent. "Now, if that's the only job available and if, in my heart, I didn't feel like I could go out there and run around and catch the ball and play defense. . . I probably wouldn't be worth a dang anyway.""
Former Yankee Lance Berkman says knee problems last year prevented him from succeeding in Bronx
July 12
New York Daily News
 
"Lance Berkman, who struggled after being acquired last year by the Yankees, at least until the postseason, said healthy knees have allowed him to have a bounce-back season with the Cardinals that has him starting Tuesday night in right field for the National League. "Because of the knee last year I got into some real bad habits mechanically," Berkman said. "My swing wasn't very good and I felt like I never really had my legs under me for most of the year. "I did hit the ball well in the playoffs and that was sort of a springboard for me to convince me that I could still play at a high level." Berkman said he never had any talks with the Yankees about re-signing because GM Brian Cashman let"
Slimmer Berkman putting up fat stats
July 10
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The artist formerly known as Fat Elvis knows how it works: Tiger Woods won 71 times on tour, including 14 major golf championships. But because he hasn't won since September 2009, two months before his personal life became tabloid fodder, Woods has almost slipped into irrelevance. Shortstop Derek Jeter, who entered the weekend within a whisper of becoming the first player to reach 3,000 hits in pinstripes, returned from the disabled list last week to insinuations that the New York Yankees became a lesser team by activating him. Within his own clubhouse, first baseman Albert Pujols' fractured left wrist elicited media commentary ranging from the wisdom of his Lazarus-like return to"
Berkman, Holliday, Molina make NL All-Star team
July 4
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"After comically feigning astonishment when approached by reporters about his selection to this year's All-Star Game, Cardinals veteran Lance Berkman declined an opening to correct or chide the doubters who weren't so playful about his chances entering the season. He didn't have to. His manager did. "I think Lance, with what he had to prove wherever he played, has sent one hell of a message about what he's got left," manager Tony La Russa said after the Cardinals' 8-3 loss Sunday to Tampa Bay. "Which is a lot of the greatness he's had his whole career. That he did it for us has been fun to watch, and important." Berkman and teammates Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina were announced as the"
Berkman leads three Cardinals into All-Star Game
July 3
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"When asked if his selection to the All-Star Game as a NL starting outfielder was a sign of vindication or validation, Cardinals switch-hitter Lance Berkman paused. "That may be a little melodramatic," he said. Berkman was the lone Cardinal selected as a starter for the All-Star Game that will take place later this month in Phoenix. Outfielder Matt Holliday and catcher Yadier Molina were selected by their peers as reserves for the NL All-Star team. Albert Pujols, once a leading vote-getter overall in the NL, was not chosen by the fans, players or the manager for the team. Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder rode a late internet-voting surge to the starting job at first base ahead"
Berkman OK with June numbers
July 1
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"June closed on Lance Berkman on Thursday night. His batting average suggests an abrupt decline from April and an incremental drop from May. Berkman reminded before and during his team's 9-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles that numbers can lie. Carrying a .210 average into the month's last game, the Cardinals' right fielder-first baseman served as designated hitter in the Cardinals' series finale. After insisting before the game that his right wrist is giving him no significant problem after requiring a cortisone injection June 4, Berkman produced two monstrous home runs to give him nine home runs and 22 RBIs during a "down" month. "I feel like I've swung the bat a lot better this month than"
Orioles' Jakubauskas faces rematch with hitter who put him in hospital
June 28
Baltimore Sun
 
"Lance Berkman swung, smashing the 90 mph fastball up the middle "about as hard as I could hit it." As Berkman dashed from the batter's box in the first inning of that Houston Astros-Pittsburgh Pirates game April 24, 2010, the baseball hurtled back toward home plate and sailed over the head and glove of the Pirates' leaping catcher. It didn't make any sense. And yet, eerily, it did. "It just doesn't register at first. All of the sudden, I saw the ball coming back to me, and my first instinct was to run," said Berkman, now with the St. Louis Cardinals, who come to Baltimore this week. "I remember getting to first and thinking, 'Please tell me that didn't hit him in the head.' In my heart, I"
Berkman is back, but Cards lose Craig
June 8
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"On the same day Lance Berkman returned to the lineup with a right wrist he hopes will no longer be persistently sore, the Cardinals couldn't complete a full inning without losing another outfielder to injury. Allen Craig battered his right knee while chasing a fly ball into foul territory at Minute Maid Park during the first inning of Tuesday's game against Houston. Tracking a pop-up from Clint Barmes, Craig crashed into a metal fence that separates the field of play from the seats down the right-field line. Craig did not make the catch and crumpled to the ground. He had to be helped from the field, and the Cardinals initially diagnosed the right fielder with a contusion, or deep bruise,"
Berkman sits out with sore wrist
June 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman, who hurt his right wrist diving for a ball nearly three weeks ago, sat out Sunday's game for two reasons. He had received a cortisone shot for his wrist Saturday night. And Carlos Zambrano, against whom Berkman is 11 for 71 (.155), was was pitching for the Chicago Cubs. Berkman allowed that a sore wrist was "not good for a hitter. Or a seamstress. "We're hoping that this thing takes care of it because it's been pretty sore since I came back, Berkman said. "Not sore enough to keep me out. But, with my lack of success against Zambrano and we have an off day, it was a good time to get (the shot) yesterday and get two full days off." The Cardinals' next"
Berkman out today after receiving cortisone shot
June 5
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman, who's been dealing with a right wrist injury after diving for a ball on May 18, received a cortisone shot Saturday night and will not play today. The Cardinals are off Monday and Berkman's status for Tuesday's game against Houston will be determined later. The club took into account Monday's day off and Berkman's history against Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano while making the decision to have the shot. Berkman is 11-for-71 (.155) in his career vs. Zambrano."
Berkman comes back with a bang
June 4
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Outfielder Lance Berkman believes having the night off in Thursday's series finale against San Francisco will benefit him more in the big picture than it did in his return to the lineup Friday against Chicago. That thinking may be hard to support after Berkman ended an 0-for-13 hitless drought with a three-run home run in the first inning, a blast that allowed the Cardinals to never look back in a 6-1 win over the Cubs. "I would think that's more cumulative than acute ... like one day you're going to come out and feel great, just because of a day off," Berkman said, not buying into the latter part of his comment. "I think if you can pace yourself throughout the season, on the whole, you'll"
Berkman in lineup; Kozma makes first start
May 22
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"When the Cardinals left spring training, manager Tony La Russa hardly could have envisioned that less than two months later, his starting keystone combination would be Pete Kozma and Allen Craig. But so it is today that Kozma will be at short and Craig at second as the Cardinals finish a three-game interleague series here against the Kansas City Royals. ""I'm a one-day-at-a-time kind of guy," joked La Russa. Kozma is replacing regular shortstop Ryan Theriot, who has the flu. Craig, who made his initial start at second base with lefthander Jaime Garcia pitching, is behind Garcia again today. And, in right field will be Lance Berkman, who has missed three games with a sprained right wrist"
Berkman hoping to play in Sunday's finale
May 22
MLB.com
 
"Lance Berkman hopes to play in the Cardinals' series finale against the Royals on Sunday. Berkman has missed three games due to a sprained right wrist. "I'm hoping to come in [Sunday] and be in the lineup," Berkman said following the Cardinals' Saturday win over Kansas City. "I don't know that. They want me to come and see how I feel." Berkman swung a bat on Saturday for the first time since the injury. He took some swings at a ball on a tee, and said he definitely felt improvement in the joint."
Cardinals' Rasmus returns; Holliday, Berkman out with injuries
May 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Left fielder Matt Holliday and right fielder Lance Berkman are missing from today's lineup against the Astros. But the outfield won't undergo a complete makeover as regular center fielder Colby Rasmus returns after sitting out (except for one pinch AB) the first three games of the homestand because of an abdominal strain."
Holliday, Berkman both leave early with injuries in Cards' win
May 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"In a wild night at Busch Stadium that saw left fielder Matt Holliday and right fielder Lance Berkman both leave the game early with - the Cardinals hope - minor injuries, pitcher Kyle Lohse kept on doing what he's been doing all season. Lohse improved his record to 5-2 with a 5-1 victory over the Astros on Wednesday night. He allowed six hits and struck out three in eight innings as the Cardinals moved to a half-game in back of Cincinnati in the Central Division. Lohse had gone winless in his past three starts, though in the previoius two he gave up three runs total. Holliday left the game after the second inning as a precaution after feeling tightness in his left quadricep. Berkman left"
Bautista, Berkman earn MVP nods at one-fourth mark
May 15
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Every baseball team that's struggling likes to point out that it's early. It's not as early as they think. This weekend unofficially wraps up the first quarter of the season, with most teams having played 40 games. At this time a year ago, the American League playoff teams -- Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers -- were already in postseason position. In the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds were in position. So we have a good idea of what teams are going to be good this year. We also have a better idea on who's doing what. So here's a look at the First Quarter Awards, which aren't to be confused with the Halfway Awards, which"
Berkman wins NL award again
May 3
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman on Monday earned his second National League Player of the Week award this season. Both his awards have come after he had big weeks on the road, including 11 for 24 with two homers and eight runs batted in on a six-game trip to Houston and Atlanta last week. Earlier, while the Cardinals were in Arizona and Los Angeles for a week, Berkman was 11 for 32 with six homers and 12 runs batted in. For the season then, Berkman is a .375 hitter away from home. "That's all right," said general manager John Mozeliak. "We struggled on the road last year, so we'll take it." Last year, the Cardinals were only 34-47 on the road, compared to 10-6 this season. But before"
Hot April usually means big season for Berkman
April 29
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Derrick Goold
"It was Lance Berkman who made the connection last week in Busch Stadium and again this week during his visit to Minute Maid Park, where memories from his those salad days as an MVP candidate greeted him. When he's hit in April, he's usually hit all season. Leaning against a wall during his first visit to the visitors' clubhouse at Minute Maid, Berkman was asked if he could remember having a start to the season like this one. And that was before he rapped eight hits in three day, including a four-hit, two-homer send-off on Thursday. Berkman nodded at the question. He could remember hot Aprils. He also mused that the times he remembers having a hot April were also the best seasons of his"
Hey, I hear Lance Berkman is going to be a free agent
April 29
Houston Chronicle
 
"I was working on an entry about players that "got away" from the Astros, supposedly centered on Ben Zobrist's four-hit, eight-RBI day for the Rays. Frankly, it was developing quite nicely when Brad Mills decided he'd seen enough of Nelson Figueroa and wanted Fernando Abad to pitch to Lance Berkman. That's about the time I had to start over. We'll get back to the players-that-got-away entry another time. Oh, wait, maybe I don't have to scrap everything after all. Many of you would say that Berkman got away. For the record, the long-time Astros' first baseman will be a free agent this winter. He turns 36 before spring training starts and rumor has it he wouldn't mind finishing his career in"
Berkman refutes broadcaster's criticism
April 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Texas native and Houston resident Lance Berkman returned to Minute Maid Park as a visitor for the first time Tuesday, and he was greeted by a stinging series of comments from Hall of Fame broadcaster Milo Hamilton, the voice of the Astros. Berkman heard them replayed on the radio as he was driving around the Houston area. "Why did you think it wasn't necessary to get in shape your last couple of years as an Astro?" Hamilton asked, rhetorically, while a guest on KBME/790 AM. "And now to a team you didn't even know, a manager you didn't play for, you felt it was your responsibility to get in great shape? And it's paying off. ... Lance, I love you. But wouldn't it have been great to have"
Berkman 'not crazy' about facing Astros
April 26
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"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"
Cards rest Berkman for final game with Nats
April 21
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Against a lefty and after playing both ends of yesterday's doubleheader, Lance Berkman gets the day off -- at least from the starting lineup -- and Jon Jay starts in right field today. Berkman is hitting .380 vs. righthanded pitchers, .111 against lefties like today's Washington starter, Tom Gorzelanny."
Wins follow Berkman's wise words
April 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"He barely classified it as a speech and dared not call it inspirational. However, in the moments after the Cardinals suffered a late-night body blow against the San Francisco Giants, Lance Berkman thought it a good time to remind his teammates of their ability, their cohesiveness and the team's place in the season. The Cardinals stood 2-6 after center fielder Colby Rasmus failed to hold on to Miguel Tejada's two-out drive to the AT&T Park warning track on April 9. The blast was scored a double and gave Ryan Franklin his second blown save in as many days. After only eight games a repetitive story was developing that led to familiar questions and occasionally testy responses. Berkman lived"
A stroke reborn: Berkman's six HRs in a week
April 17
Houston Chronicle
 
"Lance Berkman has hit six home runs in a week. And not a real week either. The kind of week traditionally reserved for bureaucrats, bankers and the fresh episodes of Jeopardy!, the Monday-Friday kind. The former Astro who signed with the Cardinals this offseason went deep six times in five road games against the Diamondbacks and Dodgers. All six were from the lefthanded batter's box, which was always the switch-hitter's power side. Three were pulled, and three were the opposite way. Last year when he was battling leg problems in his final year with the Astros it took 40 games to reach six homers for the year, a number on which he was still stuck through Game 58."
Berkman expects Cardinals to hit
April 7
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"After a week of games here, Lance Berkman is one off Skip Schumaker's team lead in hits and is first on the club in runs scored. The figures are modest, mind you, at six and five, respectively, but the point is that the player Cardinals fans might have been most concerned about coming out of spring training surely has allayed a few of those fears. "I feel like I've been swinging the bat pretty well," said Berkman, hitting .300 for six games. "I'm not in midseason form. I haven't had a lot of RBIs (one)." No one else on the Cardinals has either, of course. And Berkman can see the fans wondering, "Is that going to be a trend?" But Berkman then said, "As a veteran, you just have to look at"