Lance Berkman eyes an explosive year with the St. Louis Cardinals
If there is one thing that will be going through the mind of Lance Berkman, it will probably be that he messed up his chances to play for the New York Yankees for a longer period of time. The veteran slugger was a renowned hitter
for the Houston Astros last year but all that changed when he injured his knees and wasted a lot of time going into the 2010 season.
He had knee surgery done to repair the damage but nothing could change his fate in the season as he provided a lacklustre performance for both the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros. The player had been a member of the Astros’
line-up for over 12 seasons but his tenure as the club’s premier first baseman came to a close when he was transferred to the Yankees.
His misery continued as his performance wasn’t able to meet the standards of the club. One of his memorable moments at Bronx Stadium depicted him striking the ball on Alex Rodriguez, injuring the player. The tenure with the Yanks
ended when the club crashed out of the American League Championship, following a crushing defeat at the hands of the Texas Rangers.
When the winter break came, Berkman made no hesitation in signing on to the St. Louis Cardinals on a one-year deal. The reason for the deal was simple. He wants to make his mark in that one year he’s got and build up on the success
he avails in that period of time. The player is thinking long term and that may be considered a wise decision, following a strategy that would boost him financially if his season with the current team goes well.
"Even if I had been offered a two-year deal for the same money, I probably wouldn't have taken it," Berkman said. "Just because, honestly, I feel like last year was a fluke. I think I'm going to have a great year this year. And
if I do, then statistically I'm going to be in a great spot. And if I don't, I'll want to retire. But if I had locked into a two-year deal, then I would feel like I had to honour the second year of that. So from a flexibility standpoint, and from just a financial
standpoint, I feel like if I can go out and regain form, I'll be sitting pretty as a free agent next year."
The player named five clubs he would have joined if the offer came ringing. Those were the Cardinals, Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros and the Colorado Rockies. He went on to say that if no other team would have pitched
in an offer, he would have considered hanging up his boots. Fortunately, St. Louis came knocking at his door.
"It's weird," he said. "For most of my career, I couldn't stand the Cardinals. I basically hated the organization's guts - in a good way. In a fun way. It's more just a healthy respect, I should say. But that was part of what drove
me here, too. I think so much of this organization and so much of the people, from [manager Tony La Russa] to his coaching staff to the players that have been around and I've competed against for so many years. I couldn't think of a better place to be."
The only thing left now is to wait and see if Lance can deliver on his promises and expectations. One wonders that if Berkman is able to prove himself right in gaining the momentum he once had, will he get the kind of offer that
would see him play for another three years in a multimillion dollar contract?
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