end of an era

It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but Lance Berkman is gone from Houston. He’ll be suiting up for the New York Yankees possibly as soon as tonight. And so … the last former Jackson General still playing for the Astros has moved on. Kinda sad, in several ways. Berkman, arguably the best position player produced in Jackson’s 25-year Texas League era, looked to be one of the those rare players who would finish his career with the organization he came up with. It’s hard to imagine him in a uniform other than the Astros’. “I’m from Texas. Heck, I played at Rice. This city is like the womb. … To think about the possibility of going anywhere else is kind of scary,” Berkman told The Associated Press on Friday. He has had a sluggish season to date, but don’t be surprised if the Big Puma picks it up with the Yankees.
P.S. On this date in 1997, McComb native Blake Stein, an otherwise obscure big league pitcher, was involved in a trade that may forever keep his name in the news on deadline day. He and two others were shipped from St. Louis to Oakland for Mark McGwire. … Keep an eye out for Corey Wimberly’s big league debut. The former Alcorn State star is leading the Pacific Coast League in stolen bases and hitting .290 for Oakland’s Triple-A club. As the A’s fade from the American League West chase, they may want to take a look at Wimberly, who plays the outfield and second base.