Okay, so it looks like semi-hometown boy Berkman (hey, he went to Rice) may not quite develop into the fearsome power hitter that his first few years with the club seemed to promise. Being an Astros fan means learning to deal with disappointment. Even without 35 homers a year, Berkman is poised to become the face of the Astros as veterans Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio retire. And the good news is he just might break the stoic "one game at a time" mold of those two. Maybe it's the long-term contract he signed this year, but Berkman has loosened up and showed a heretofore hidden hilarious side, ripping, for instance, on the University of Texas and "loser middle-aged men" who breathlessly follow college-football recruiting news. If he keeps that up, we can live without all the dingers. Maybe.
Readers' choice: Roger Clemens