Berkman honored at Astros Baseball Dinner

With spring training just days away Lance Berkman is getting his usual clever responses and witty answers fine-tuned. "When people ask me what did you do this off season, I tell them I played in the World Series," Berkman said Friday night, where he was honored as the best Major League Player residing in the Houston area at the annual Astros Baseball Dinner. Asked about a conversation between he and President Barack Obama when the Cardinals visited the White House in January, Berkman responded, "He was asking me how to straighten the country out but I just told him, I didn't really have time to talk to him about it because I had other things going on. I gave him my number and maybe he'll get back to me." Berkman and his teammates went to the White House thanks to a thrilling World Series win in seven games against the Rangers, including a Game 6 in which St. Louis overcame two run deficits twice while the Rangers were just one strike away. Berkman batted .423 with 5 RBI in the series. Now comes the challenge of trying to do it again with a couple of twists: the absence of Albert Pujols, who signed a 240 million deal with the Angels and without Tony LaRussa who retired. With Pujols gone, Berkman is likely to move back to first base and become the primary run producer for the Cardinals. "I think we have a chance to be just as good if not better than last year," said Berkman. "Obviously you can't replace a guy like Albert but we're also getting a Cy Young winner back in Adam Wainwright. I don't know of a team in baseball that can say they signed a guy that has that kind of impact on a rotation. "I expect us to be a different kind of team. I don't think we're going to be quite as powerful offensively but I think we're going to be better as a starting rotation and I think we'll be better in the bullpen. I expect us to be better than we were last year." Berkman also touched a bit on his old team -the Astros- and the fact that the club will be moving to the American League in 2013. "I still think it stinks," he said. "But there's not much you can do about it. I always looked at the Astros as a National League franchise and it's going to be weird to see the different teams that are coming through (Houston) but change is part of the game. I imagine that everybody will adapt." What about moving on without LaRussa? Back to the quick-witted responses for Berkman: "Well, I played eleven years without him" Berkman did follow with a serious response: "Certainly the way Tony manipulated the bullpen, the way he knows the game, the way he motivated guys, he's incredible. It was just a tremendous experience getting to play for Tony and I'm excited about playing for (new Manager Mike Matheny). I think he's going to do a great job." Berkman also clarified the actual conversation he had with the President. "He wanted to talk about probably what everybody wants to talk about-Game 6," Berkman said. "He asked a lot of questions about that. He was very gracious, he and his wife."