Berkman inducted into Astros Hall of Fame

HOUSTON -- Lance Berkman, who was unable to participate in the on-field ceremony for his induction into the Astros Hall of Fame in August, finally got his day in the sun. Wearing his orange Hall of Fame jacket, Berkman received his Hall of Fame plaque before Sunday’s game against the Angels at Minute Maid Park.

“It was great. It’s a high honor,” Berkman said. “It’s fun to come back and stand out on the field again. There’s a lot of memories whenever you go down there and feel the energy of the crowd. It was great. I’m glad I got to experience it.”

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Berkman was set to be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame last month along with Roy Oswalt, Billy Wagner, Cesar Cedeno, Bob Watson and former owner Roy Hofheinz, but he wasn’t allowed to take part after one of his daughters tested positive for COVID-19.

“It was very disappointing,” he said. “You feel like, ‘Oh man, I’m not going to get a chance to ever do that again in my life.’ Fortunately, the Astros were gracious enough to set it back up to where I could do that. I really appreciate that, and it was great to be able to go out there. Almost better to be by yourself, but it was fun to be with the other guys, too, even though it wasn’t very long.”

Considered one of the top offensive players in club history, the switch-hitting Berkman joined Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio to form the core of the Killer B’s that helped take the franchise to new heights in the 2000s. Drafted in the first round out of Rice in 1997, Berkman blasted 326 home runs and drove in 1,090 runs in 12 seasons with the Astros while playing first base and outfield.

Berkman hit .331 with 55 doubles, 34 homers, and 126 RBIs in 2001; he finished third in the National League Most Valuable Player Award voting in 2002 by hitting .292 with 42 homers and 128 RBIs. He hit 45 big flies and set a club record for RBIs (136) in 2006 before earning his fifth All-Star honor with the Astros in 2008 after hitting .312 with 29 home runs and 106 RBIs. He was a career .317 hitter in 52 career playoff games, mostly with the Astros.

Berkman, his wife, Cara, and four daughters all watched together while highlights of Berkman’s career played on the video board.

“My older two kind of remember the Astros,” he said. “They remember being in the nursery and some of the stuff the family did. So to have them to come out and see what dad did for a long time, it was fun to look at their faces as they look around when they look out there. It was a great moment for our family.”