bye bye berkie

Lance Berkman’s season is over; no immediate word on his career. The former Jackson Generals star will have a second knee surgery this year and won’t play again for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012. He said he is “keeping my options open” about the future. Berkman, now 36, was a key player for the world champion Cardinals in 2011, but this season has been a virtual washout because of injuries: .263, two home runs, seven RBIs in 31 games. For his career, Berkman is hitting .296 with 360 homers and 1,200 RBIs. It’d be nice to see him end things on a better note. … Meanwhile, former Ole Miss ace Lance Lynn will get a spot start for the Cardinals, filling in for Jake Westbrook, on Thursday at Los Angeles. Lynn, who made the All-Star Game, was 13-5 as a starter but was clearly fading when pulled from the rotation after an Aug. 24 start that lasted just two innings. He has been hot and cold in six games out of the bullpen. For the season, he has a 4.04 ERA. St. Louis, chasing a playoff spot in the National League, is hoping for a strong effort from the big right-hander, who was a clutch performer in the 2011 postseason. P.S. D.J. Davis, the Toronto Blue Jays’ first-round pick and the first Mississippian drafted in 2012, helped Vancouver win the short-season Class A Northwest League pennant. Davis, from Stone County, went 3-for-5 with a run in Sunday’s clincher. He played at three levels this summer, batting .250 overall with five homers and 25 stolen bases.