Lance Berkman has an assload to say (Clemens, Pettitte, Wade,Valverde)

Lance needs to bring his best game this season and with the additions Wade has made to this team, I feel we are the favorites to win the division. Once you get in the playoffs, anything can happen.

Add in another innings eater starter or 2 to the rotation and we have a team built to win some games.

This lineup is the best in the NL 3-6 and should score many more runs than last year. Lance had an off year last year...so here's some advice for your Lance.

Shut mouth and swing the bat.

 

These comments don't sit well with me as a fan of the Houston Astros. They sucked last year, chemistry or not. Look...call up your buddies and go fishing from now until March, but when the season starts you are a professional baseball team...not some college fraternity or church league softball team.

For the record...I like Valverde's fist pumps. It's called intimidation and it works if your a closer who throws a 100 mph. We've got Bourn, Matsui, Tejada and Valverde now. If Berkman can't get along with those guys that's his problem. Invite them fishing, to a Bible study or whatever, but most importantly play some freakin' baseball. Let's go. And the defense of Andy...he did it for his teammates...give me a break...and that's why he dissed the Astros for $16 million dollars? I bet Carlos Lee is happy this team finally has some diversity. Most of the fans sure are.

 

he led the league in saves last year...had a 2.66 ERA...and you're glad to see him go?

 

Just not flag football.

 

We know you're a bright guy Lance... now be smart enough to know when to zip it.

 

Many Astros fans were glad to see Wagner and Lidge go as well. Like Lidge, Valverde got benched from closer's role for a few months in 2006 when he struggled also. Like Lidge, he rebounded pretty well - but because of the finality of that position, the failures tend to be far more memorable.

 

I don't think there's a real valid comparison from what we last saw of Lidge and what we last saw of Valverde.

As for Wagner..that was more personal. That was about the b****ing.

 

This sounds to me like Lance attempting, at least in part, to take over the Bagwell/Biggio role of keeping guys in line in the clubhouse. The problem is, Biggio/Bagwell knew how to do that without speaking to the media about it. This comes off as really *******-like the way Lance did this.

And anyway, Lance played with Lima and Dotel, but who were pretty animated. I'm sure he can learn to live with Valverde.

 

Yea. Color really counts when it comes to winning. How have the Mets done during the Minaya era with just a few white people? Not too hot huh? I'd take the Astros' results over the Mets the last 3 years.

 

Starting to feel like we actually have a team and not just a big happy family.

go Stros!

 

I have liked some of the moves and not been too thrilled with others but Wade is doing whatever he can to make this team a winner in 2008.

I don't like giving up young pitching but Burke and AE suck and it's not like Scott was going to start. As far as this pitcher we traded for goes I'm glad he pumps his fist and gets all fired up. If you don't want him to do it than get a hit off of him.

This team has always lacked guys with fire, outside of Backe and Pence who from last years roster will go out and show emotion? I love Berkman but he is a guy who looks lost on the basepads, forgets how many outs there are and take's games off (in the field) from time to time. The only thing he does with 100% focus every time, every game is when he bats so I don't think he should talk on this subject.

 

Typical Rice grad.

 

I'd want my basketball team to have chemistry.

I'd want my quarterback to have chemistry with my WR...or I'd want my offensive line to have chemistry.

I'd want the doubles tennis team I root for to have chemistry.

Does chemistry even exist on the field in baseball??? Does it really matter that the 6th guy in the lineup hates the 2nd guy? Or the 1st baseman doesnt like the closer? The only thing "chemistry" is good for in baseball is to keep yourself occupied in the dugout with some buddies. It wont affect the results on the scoreboard one bit.

To that, Im glad Lance loses the tight clubhouse chemistry. He is a professional...shut your mouth, play some freaking ball, win some freaking games. Then, you will build that clubhouse chemistry with the boys you went to war with.

 

When Berkman starts playing with passion like Biggio did, then I'll give him the respect he deserves. He sounds like a whimpy whiney boy in this case.

Wade is clearing house and starting with a fresh slate. I like having good ole boys on our team, but I really like having people that produce on our team!

 

LOL hilarious.

Lance is awesome. LOL at you guys who are calling him a p***y...if anything he has the nads to speak his mind. Clemens deserves to be called out, that guy is a piece of schit

 

I'd love to see Lance become a real alpha dog, but in this case he's mostly disappointing in his takes:
a) Clemens - no need. You know, we know, don't get on a high horse and demand that he publicly own up. Glass houses.

b) Chemistry - like others have said, he's just sore that he's lost a clubhouse full of buddies. Lance, had you acted like a leader and challenged guys to play better than 0.500 ball, they wouldn't have been shipped out. Great chemistry isn't reason to keep a trainwreck lineup together.

I like Lance a lot, but his determination and will to win are debatable.

Evan

 

you're freaking clueless. I love all these internet geeks thinking they know something about baseball and clubhouse chemistry. awesome.

 

why do you disagree?

 

I feel so sorry for Lance. It's really terrible that he won't get to play baseball with all his friends this year. Let's face it, while it's nice to root for a competitive team, it's a lot more fun to root for a clubhouse where everyone gets along so well. It's really too bad he'll only be making around $15 million dollars to play a game this year, for everything the organization has done to him this offseason, he deserves a lot more.

He's moved to the top of my prayer list, for sure. Poor guy.

 

Lance speaking out about Valverde's show of emotion on the mound...maybe that fire is what the team needs instead of supposed clubhouse leaders trotting around the bases. I'll take a little fist pumping over lackadaisical play any day. And hell I'm not a big fan of Zambrano's emoting, but I'd love to have the guy on the team.

Lance, it's time to end this "Good Guy" bulls**t, get down and dirty and play some hardball.