“My dad is my hero…I think so much of him. He’s just got tremendous moral values, and he’s just a wonderful person and somebody who’s very comforting to be around. He’s very soothing when he talks to you…He’s someone I’ve learned through by example more than anything else, particularly with his honesty…
“He’s not a man of many words. He’s not very charming. He’s not necessarily a guy that will walk up and take the floor and talk a bunch. But the way he lives is an example to a lot of people. He’s a true gentleman. He’s got a lot of people that look up to him and the way he carries himself. A lot of times actions speak louder than words, and he’s a guy that certainly lives that out.”
Houston Astros star first baseman Lance Berkman (pictured above, being congratulated by teammate Morgan Ensberg) says his dad is his “hero” and role model in the MLB.com story “Berkman gives credit to his father.”
Berkman–one of the best switch hitters in baseball history and a potential Hall of Famer–says his dad made him into a switch hitter when he was a kid. Berman has finished in the top 15 in the MVP voting five times. He has a .301 lifetime average, a lifetime .414 on base percentage and a .556 lifetime slugging percentage.
Berkman gives credit to his father
By Ben Dubose / MLB.com
6/15/2007
HOUSTON — For many young baseball players, reaching the Major Leagues is a dream. They would be thrilled with reaching the big leagues, but they acknowledge the long odds and prepare for something else.
But for the Astros’ Lance Berkman, those odds never seemed that daunting. Before he even entered grade school, he knew he would be a professional baseball player, and was willing to make all the effort and sacrifices it took to make that a reality.
For that, he has one specific person to thank as Father’s Day approaches: his dad, Larry Berkman.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that my dad wanted me to be a baseball player growing up,” Berkman said. “He took me out in the back yard as early as 3 or 4 years old and was pitching to me. That was his goal from day one. He was the one that taught me how to play the game, how to swing, and I owe a lot of my career to my dad.”
To overcome the long odds of reaching the Majors, however, it takes more than merely swinging the bat at a young age. For most, it takes an intense amount of dedication to the craft, a work ethic that Berkman also credits to his father. Larry Berkman, a sports attorney based out of New Braunfels, Texas, who at one point counted his son among his clients, played baseball at the University of Texas and coached many of his son’s youth-league teams.
Read Dubose’s full article here.
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