Lance Berkman looks to impress in St. Louis Cardinals camp – MLB News
St. Louis Cardinals’ Lance Berkman is looking to impress during the workout session as team gather to get their spring session started to prepare for the 2011 MLB regular season.
Berkman is well liked in the team, however it is the management that he needs to impress as he had an average season last year. He understands that to stay on a top tier team like the Cardinals, player performance is everything. MLB is a tremendously competitive
sport where players that are given a few chances are sometimes unable to perform under the extreme pressure.
However, Berkman is confident of his talents and his innate ability to hit the ball. It is this talent that he is going to focus on during the spring session. The Cardinals will be watching Berkman’s performance carefully during the workout sessions. They
are hoping his hitting form will return to the way it was before the 2010 season.
Berkman said, "It takes a little time. I am adjusting myself to only the second Spring Training home in my professional career. But I have a pretty good familiarity with most of the guys in here. They have a lot of the same personnel. I played with Trever
[Miller].”
Manager Tony La Russa is confident that Berkman will shine with the bat for the Cardinals during the spring workout session. La Russa understands that some players take a little extra time to adjust and perform under the pressure of being in the big leagues.
Berkman is looking to work hard during the spring sessions and look for spot on the team as Spring Training is about begin. He is eager to prove his worth as the Cardinals take on other top tier teams in the league. Spring Training will be the real test
for Berkman if he wants to impress the Cardinals. He will be given the opportunity to face some of the most highly rated pitchers in baseball.
La Russa said, "He needs to understand that nobody here is going to be looking at him and think he's trying to get out of work. We want him to play as many games [in the regular season] as he can."
The Cardinals are looking to put a dominant impression on most teams during Spring Training and build some confidence in the team. The team understands the importance of having a good start to the season and winning in Spring Training builds momentum which
is carried into the opening of the regular season.
It will be interesting to see if Berkman is up to the challenge and kind find some of his lost batting form before the 2011 regular season starts.
Tags: