Castor, if you lock this thread i understand. i'm tired of seeing lance berkman did such and such today in game threads. i don't get it. its ridiculous because he wouldn't help. its ridiculous because he was done here and i think the situation wouldn't have provide him tangible or intangible aid to do what he's doing. tangible: lineup sucks no protection intagible: team sucks no motivation let it go please
Lance Berkman OPS update: A. I don't think anybody is arguing that we shouldn't have traded him. I'm certainly not. We should have traded him sooner, in my opinion. I kept bringing him up this season because of the some of the crap I saw thrown at him the last couple of seasons, not just in this forum but in general. B. He came into the last 2 seasons with injuries. I believe it was a shoulder two years ago then the knee last season. That kind of thing can have a huge effect on a player, esp. when they're approaching their mid-30s. I believe he said he couldn't even lift his shoulder above his head coming into two season ago... but he played through it. I've said it a number of times and I'll say it again: In a sport full of plenty of cheaters and douchebags, Berkman is not only a great player but a class act on and off the field. He's widely and openly respected by players throughout the league and it's beyond pathetic to hear so-called Astros fans talking about the guy the way they did last season and since being shunned by the Astros. It's kind of sad that LaRussa and the Cards GM believed in him more than some of our own (Wade openly mocked him last season). He was loyal to the team until the day he left. Sure, he worked harder this past offseason for very obvious reasons but he also came in healthy. That's the biggest factor. He cared (and still does) about this team and the city, he respected everybody involved with the game, including the fans. And he deserves the same in return. The sole reason this is bugging some of you is that you either dogged him the past couple of seasons and feel stupid now or your jealous to see him succeeding elsewhere because the Astros suck... or both. Neither makes sense to me. He didn't deserve it then and he doesn't deserve it now. It's not like we're fighting with the Cardinals for a playoff spot. And we won't be anytime before he retires. I'm greatly enjoying his success and I'm glad that I never got down on him during his struggles or for any BS reason since. Astros fans should be celebrating what he's doing right now, not be getting bothered by it. Who freakin' cares if people drop a couple of posts in game threads? I know the rules but there are what, 5 or 6 regular posters in there... lol. Get over it.
I wish no ill will on him (or Oswalt). The guy definitely was a class act, aside from running his mouth from time to time. Although he always pretty much told it like it was. In any case, I think it's perfectly natural to feel a little jealous of his success in the face of our misery. True he would be wasted on our team right now. But shoot it would have been nice if he could have put up better numbers before trading him so we could something a little better back in return! Or it would be nice if we weren't sucking so much. But oh well. I hope he can sustain this success and prolong his career just enough to, at the very least, be in the HOF conversation.
dude, its a none topic to discuss every series thread. nobody's jealous, its a done deal. that's all. there were no updates in ny, there shouldn't be any now. i don't take it as rubbed in my face, i take it as its a done deal. time to move on. if you want to talk about lance, do it here. i don't need to see every week, astros suck, did you see how lance is doing if you understand that the trade would have happened no matter what, why keep bringing it up in game threads. i wish no ill will on berkman, he's a great guy. never dogged him, just tired of hearing about it how is he being shunned, what are you even talking about. relax
For the non-haters amongst us, here's a real nice article from a couple of weeks ago about Berkman: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/2011-07-11-825184033_x.htm Enjoy!
How is creating a thread specifically for Puma hating on him? I love the guy and believe his slam in the 05 NLDS is vastly underrated by most Astro fans. That said, he isn't here anymore and is on a rival team...add the fact that most of us aren't to happy to see him suddenly become motivated or healthy after leaving Houston. Before I get called a hater, check out who created the Puma appreciation thread last year and my various post praising him throughout the season. Ultimately, he isn't a Stros anymore so he gets the same treatment any other non-Astro will get, from me at least. IF the Cards win the division he is their MVP, no questions should be asked on that.
Lance is going to have his number retired as an Astro, he was the 2nd best offensive player in the history of the franchise. Will always consider him an Astro at heart. The guy has me rooting for the Cards over any team in baseball. If Berkman can get a ring and duplicate this season 2-3 more times he might be headed to Cooperstown. GIVE RESPECT!
That's such a stupid f'in article. Here's the truth. Berkman has been a jake on his conditioning for years. People called him fat and questioned his work ethic and it all finally caught up with him on the field. Embarrassed by his poor performance last year and without a contract, he finally got his ass in top shape and now he's reaping the benefits of it. It has nothing to do with who believed in him or LaRussa's BS or Cardinals magic. Berkman basically mailed it in as a professional for years as an Astro. Screw him.
He had a bad year last year, one in which he was battlling injuries, but you cannot seriously say he was anything BUT a proffesional hitter for the Astros for nearly all of his entire career. Put it this way... if he was able to put up the career OPS he did by "mailing it in" as you say.... he perhaps would have been the greatest hitter the planet has ever seen if he "applied" himself. The truth is, there are countless "proffesional hitters" who apply themselves to fitness, conditioning, and building a tremendous physique... and they will never get close to the numbers that Berkman put up as an Astro.
What are you talking about? Lance is an incredibly talented player, this isn't in dispute. For years people have talked about Lance's conditioning, years and years. Now he's finally got serious about being in top shape and it shows, big surprise. Not having a fat contract is quite the motivation, even for Mr. Nice Guy.
My point is that nobody ever confused Lance with an adonis... but only last year did his production actually falter. The league has always had "fat" guys who put up some good years here and there (John Kruk), but Lance should never have put in "that" category. He wasn't that fat, and he was a MUCH better hitter. In all of the other years besdies his last with the Astros, his "conditioning" didn't have a big affect on his ability to play baseball. Not as a first baseman, not as a center fielder or right fielder, not as a guy who consistently put up a +.900 OPS. And if theres one guy in baseball who actually lived up to his contract, its him... superb value.
I understand the team sucked and lack of motivation because of it, but he couldn't loose that 15lbs. here and had to wait 'till his last year of his contract and free agency to get in shape. It seems like it helped him a lot getting in shape.
Coming from a neutral perspective, I have to admit the guy looks pretty good. I feel for you guys, though. I know it was time to part ways but it's never easy to watch a guy you liked for 10+ years thriving on another team. As a sports fan, it's just not natural.
The Astros office was tired of his lackadaisical attitude and his work ethic. This had been brewing for a couple of years. He and Roy wanted out, if not by words then by actions, and the Astros came to a point where they wanted them out as well. Worked out for everyone.
