Lance Berkman

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

A standout baseball player at Canyon High School, Berkman attended Rice University, where he played college baseball for the Owls. The Astros selected Berkman in the first round of 1997's amateur draft, and he debuted in the major leagues in 1999. He joined the Astros' vaunted "Killer B's" lineup that included Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio as all three players were instrumental in the club's playoff success. The Astros traded Berkman to the Yankees at the 2010 trade deadline. He signed with the Cardinals as a free agent for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Berkman played a key part in the Cardinals winning the 2011 World Series, hitting a game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the tenth inning of Game 6. In the bottom of the ninth, with the Cardinals just one strike away from elimination, David Freese hit a game-tying triple. He played the 2013 season with the Rangers before signing a one-day contract with Houston to officially retire as an Astro. In fifteen seasons of baseball, he had an Adjusted On-base plus slugging (OPS+) at 150 or above six times (the baseline average is 100) while drawing 100 walks in a season three times and 100 RBIs in a season six times. His career OPS (.943) ranks 32nd in major league history, and he is one of only four players to draw at least 90 walks in nine consecutive seasons, along with Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams.

In Their Own Story

The 2005 National League Division Series remains a defining chapter of Berkman's career with Houston. In Game 4 against the Atlanta Braves, he hit a grand slam in the 8th inning to tie the game at 6-6 after being down 6-5. The contest stretched into extra innings, becoming the longest playoff game in Major League Baseball history at 18 innings. Berkman was replaced as a pinch runner by Chris Burke in the 10th, but his offensive contributions were vital. Although the Astros eventually lost the World Series to the Chicago White Sox in four games, Berkman finished that series with a .385 batting average and two doubles, recording six RBIs—the most of any Astro hitter. Later, on May 14, 2006, he participated in a league-wide initiative by brandishing a pink bat on Mother's Day to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation.

Reader's Guide

Active in charity work, Forbes recognized him on their list of "30 most generous celebrities" in 2012. He has led a group called "Berkman's Bunch," an outreach for 50 underprivileged kids to meet Berkman before each Saturday home game for autographs and other gifts. In 2013, he purchased a fire truck and donated it to the City of West, Texas, after the West Fertilizer Company explosion.

Did You Know?

• Berkman's No. 23 jersey was retired by his high school alma mater on March 2, 2023 and is displayed on the right-field wall at Canyon High School's baseball field.
• In 1996, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he won the league's Thurman Munson Award for leading all hitters with a .352 batting average.
• Berkman was named to the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2023.
• His 41 home runs in 1997 ranked third-most in NCAA history.