57 Facts About Lance Berkman

William Lance Berkman was born on February 10,1976, and nicknamed "Big Puma", is an American baseball coach and former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman, who is the current head baseball coach of the Houston Baptist Huskies.

Lance Berkman played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, St Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers.

Lance Berkman spent various seasons of his career as a regular at all three outfield positions.

Standout baseball player at Canyon High School, Lance Berkman attended Rice University, where he played college baseball for the Owls.

Lance Berkman 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.

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Lance Berkman signed with the Cardinals as a free agent for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Lance Berkman played a key part in the Cardinals winning the 2011 World Series, hitting a game-tying single in the bottom of the tenth inning of Game 6, with the Cardinals just one strike away from elimination.

Lance Berkman played the 2013 season with the Rangers before signing a one-day contract with Houston to officially retire as an Astro.

Lance Berkman 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.

Lance Berkman was born in Waco, Texas, the son of Cynthia Ann and Larry Gene Lance Berkman.

Lance Berkman graduated from Canyon High School in New Braunfels, Texas, in 1994.

Lance Berkman then attended Rice University playing on the Owls baseball team, where he played for the legendary Wayne Graham, and was named a first team All-America by Collegiate Baseball Magazine, Baseball America and The Sporting News.

Lance Berkman was invited to visit the White House and dined with President Clinton along with the rest of the Baseball America honorees.

Lance Berkman played 17 games in New Orleans, and 1998 would prove to be his last full season in the minor leagues.

In 1999, Lance Berkman was midway through a great season in New Orleans when he was called up to the parent club, the Houston Astros.

Lance Berkman would receive a single vote in 2000 National League Rookie of the Year voting, tying him for sixth place with Juan Pierre and Chuck Smith.

Lance Berkman scored 110 runs and hit 34 home runs, while his 55 doubles led the league.

Lance Berkman scored 106 runs and drove in 128, good enough to lead the league.

Lance Berkman made his second All-Star appearance and was third in the NL in the Most Valuable Player voting.

Lance Berkman continued his reputation for being colorful and outspoken, advocating for the use of instant replay in games.

Lance Berkman responded by asking for twinkies to be thrown to his glove, and when two came to him, he proceeded to eat one of them while putting the other in his pocket.

Lance Berkman subsequently hit a home run in the next innings earning chants of "Twinkie Power" when he came back to the field in the ninth.

Lance Berkman made the All-Star team, his third All-Star appearance, and placed second in the 2004 Home Run Derby behind Miguel Tejada.

Lance Berkman hit the longest home run of the tournament at 497 feet.

Lance Berkman hit 40 doubles and appeared in 160 games, the most in his career for a single season.

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Lance Berkman moved to first base early in the 2005 season while Bagwell spent a significant portion of the season injured.

On Mother's Day, May 14,2006, Lance Berkman was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation.

On September 13,2006, Lance Berkman became only the second switch hitter in Major League history to hit 40 or more homers in multiple seasons, with Mickey Mantle being the first.

Lance Berkman broke the Astros' single season record for RBI, previously set by Bagwell in 1997 with 135.

Lance Berkman hit a career high 5 home runs from the right side of the plate.

Lance Berkman finished third in the MVP voting behind Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols.

Lance Berkman started the 2007 season in a bit of a slump, batting.

Lance Berkman was fifth in the voting for the 2008 NL MVP award, behind Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Ryan Braun, and Manny Ramirez.

Lance Berkman hit his 300th home run against Arizona Diamondbacks starter Jon Garland on June 13,2009.

On July 31,2010, Lance Berkman was traded to the New York Yankees for minor leaguers Jimmy Paredes and Mark Melancon.

Lance Berkman served as both a designated hitter and back-up first baseman during his tenure with New York.

Lance Berkman was under contract with the Cardinals for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

On July 5,2011, Lance Berkman hit his 350th career home run, and his long-ball was the second farthest home run ever hit in the new Busch Stadium.

Lance Berkman made key contributions in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series against the Texas Rangers.

Lance Berkman hit his first home run in a World Series game in the first inning and in the ninth, with St Louis down to their final strike before elimination, Berkman was driven home followed by Albert Pujols after a game-tying 2-run triple by David Freese.

Lance Berkman won his first World Series championship as the Cardinals defeated the Texas Rangers in the series in 7 games.

On May 21,2012, Lance Berkman was again placed on the disabled list due to right knee injury.

Lance Berkman was then placed on the 15-day disabled list on August 3,2012 due to knee inflammation.

Lance Berkman spent the 2012 postseason on the physically unable to perform list as the Cardinals won the 2012 NLDS against the Washington Nationals but lost the 2012 NLCS against the San Francisco Giants.

On January 5,2013, Lance Berkman agreed to a one-year contract with the Texas Rangers for approximately $10 million.

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In 2009, Lance Berkman stated that after his major league career he would like to coach baseball at the University of Texas at Austin even though he attended Rice University.

Lance Berkman was eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.

Lance Berkman was an assistant manager for the University of St Thomas baseball team during the 2021 season.

On May 31,2021, Lance Berkman was named the head baseball coach of the Houston Baptist Huskies.

Lance Berkman has been very outspoken about his Christian beliefs throughout his career.

Lance Berkman uses his position as a professional athlete to discuss his religious beliefs with others.

In July 2013, Lance Berkman purchased a fire truck and had it overhauled by the City of Arlington.

Lance Berkman then donated it to the City of West, Texas, in the wake of the West Fertilizer Company explosion that took place earlier in the year.

Lance Berkman filmed an advertisement against the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which was aimed at protecting LGBT individuals from discrimination.

Lance Berkman took to the airwaves to repeat a popular stance of HERO's critics, arguing that the law would allow male predators dressed in drag to enter women's bathrooms, rather than open public accommodations to transgender people.

Lance Berkman's appearance garnered criticism from many, including former Minnesota Vikings kicker Chris Kluwe.

Lance Berkman was one of the Astros' "Killer B's" in the mid-2000s, along with Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, and Derek Bell.