Berkman's offensive stats this morning:

.480 / .594 / .760

Leading the majors in OB%

Texas, Arlington Stadium and the DH seems like a very good fit for Lance. It probably doesn't hurt that he'll get to feast on the Astros for a good chunk of the schedule, and the Angels just lost their top pitcher for perhaps the first half of the season.

If he stays healthy, Lance might have several good seasons left in him after all. For sure, the DH suits him perfectly as it allows him to do two of the things he enjoys the most - hit and talk (which I'm sure he does plenty of on the bench in-between his at-bats).

(04-10-2013 08:00 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  For sure, the DH suits him perfectly as it allows him to do two of the things he enjoys the most - hit and talk (which I'm sure he does plenty of on the bench in-between his at-bats).

He'll miss those conversations with runners at first base.

Rice sure could use some of Coach Berkman's skills!

I've watched more Rangers baseball on TV so far this year than all of last year to catch Berkman at-bats. So far he is doing just a bit better than the previous #3 hitter is doing with the Angels.

(04-10-2013 09:26 AM)mrbig Wrote:  Rice sure could use some of Coach Berkman's skills!

I have seen people post here before about Berkman turning to coaching one day. Why do people think that he would become a coach and would be good at it? I'm not questioning his potential in that area; I just don't recall seeing anything that suggested he was interested in coaching.

(04-11-2013 10:22 PM)Caelligh Wrote:  

(04-10-2013 09:26 AM)mrbig Wrote:  Rice sure could use some of Coach Berkman's skills!

I have seen people post here before about Berkman turning to coaching one day. Why do people think that he would become a coach and would be good at it? I'm not questioning his potential in that area; I just don't recall seeing anything that suggested he was interested in coaching.

from a Chronicle article last year:

"Coaching is something I want to pursue after I am done playing," Berkman said. "If you have any aspirations to be a college baseball coach, the one guy you want to learn from is coach Graham."

He might find a spot in a broadcast booth somewhere.

(04-12-2013 01:42 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  He might find a spot in a broadcast booth somewhere.

JP and Lance....my head spins.

(04-12-2013 07:41 AM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(04-12-2013 01:42 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  He might find a spot in a broadcast booth somewhere.

JP and Lance....my head spins.

Well, FBO said he likes to talk, and I think broadcasting is both easier and more lucrative than coaching, so if that is an option when he is done playing, that might be a barrier to us getting him as a coach.

Lance just knocked home 2 runs with a 2-out single, upping his average to a tidy .333, then scored on a Nelson Cruz homer. It was 0-0 through 3 innings, and it's now 9-0 Rangers mid-4th after a 9-run explosion. Poor Angels pitcher David Carpenter's ERA just jumped up to 108.00. Ouch. I wonder what Josh Hamilton, his .218 BA, and his team's 8-11 record are thinking...

Quote: I wonder what Josh Hamilton, his .218 BA, and his team's 8-11 record are thinking...

Hamilton and 'thinking' don't belong in the same sentence...

And Lance plates two more with a 2-run homer in the 6th. That's 4 RBI through 6 innings. The statistician says that's Lance's first-ever HR in Anaheim, his 32nd stadium to homer in. Wow. I don't know all of the golden-age Owls as some of you do, but is Berkman the greatest Rice athlete of the modern era?? No question he's top 3.

Watch him turn on his pitch here: BERKMAN HOMERS IN ANAHEIM

I think if he makes the Hall of Fame (which will likely require a few more years of playing), then he's the #1 pro athlete period. The only pro athletes we've produced who compare to him at this point are Tommy Kramer and Ricky Pierce IMO.

By the way, I realize he was hurt most of last year so it's not a fair comparison, but he's already equaled his 2012 numbers pretty much this year already (2 HR, 12 RBI). He's currently leading the AL in on-base percentage at .475.

I think any discussion of "best professional athlete who was a Rice graduate" has to include Dr. Frank Ryan.

(04-25-2013 10:28 AM)Hardball Owl Wrote:  I think any discussion of "best professional athlete who was a Rice graduate" has to include Dr. Frank Ryan.

Exactly was going to be my point, too. Starts there, IMO, though there have been some track and field performers who've done well on the international stage/medaled, if I'm not mistaken. But technically, those performers were amateurs.

BTW, I stumbled on this SI cover story about Frank Ryan from 1965 when doing a quite Google search. Quite amazing read about him while he was still playing.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/a.../index.htm

Frank Ryan certainly played in a different era than today's NFL QB but his numbers were still impressive. In fact he ranks 124th in career passing yards in NFL history and 79th in TD's (just 3 behind Bart Starr and 4 behind Roger Staubach - two of his contemporaries). But his numbers are still not as good as Tommy Kramer so I'd put him behind Kramer personally.

Berkman ranks 74th in MLB history in homers (he just passed Joe Dimaggio with his homer last night) and 37th all-time in on-base percentage.

Both Ryan and King Hill who was in the same year at Rice had long NFL careers at quarterback. I think King Hill had more playing time at
Rice, but I do not know whether or not he received the diploma.

(04-25-2013 10:28 AM)Hardball Owl Wrote:  I think any discussion of "best professional athlete who was a Rice graduate" has to include Dr. Frank Ryan.

(04-25-2013 02:25 PM)75src Wrote:  Both Ryan and King Hill who was in the same year at Rice had long NFL careers at quarterback. I think King Hill had more playing time at
Rice, but I do not know whether or not he received the diploma.

King did not have the professional success that Frank did. However, as a pure athlete, King would be hard to beat. Not only was he an all-american college quarterback, but one week after football season he was starting for the basketball team, and led the golf team as well. Remember, too, that he played football in the one-platoon era, so not only was he the quarterback, but he also played in the defensive backfield and was the placekicker.

(04-25-2013 12:24 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Berkman ranks 74th in MLB history in homers (he just passed Joe Dimaggio with his homer last night) and 37th all-time in on-base percentage.

A 30 homer year moves him up into the mid 50's all-time. It could happen if he stays healthy.

In all time OB% he's currently one percentage point ahead of Bagwell.