Astros slugger Lance Berkman headlines the Class of 2009 Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductees who will be honored at the induction banquet Monday at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo)
Houston Astros five-time All-Star first baseman Lance Berkman and Triple-A Round Rock pitching coach Burt Hooton will be inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame during a banquet dinner Monday at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas, as part of the Class of 2009.
Other inductees include Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams, Lawrence Elkin (former Baylor wide receiver), Chuck Howley (former Dallas Cowboys linebacker), Tommy Kramer (former Rice and Minnesota Vikings quarterback), Harvey Martin (former Cowboys defensive end), Kim Mulkey (current Baylor women's basketball coach), Dan Reeves (former Cowboys running back) and Max Williams (former SMU standout and three-time All-State basketball selection).
When Astros icons Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio retired, the leadership torch was passed to three-time All-Star ace Roy Oswalt and Berkman, one of the premier switch-hitters in Major League Baseball history, who has compiled a .299 batting average with 313 homers and 1,041 RBI over his 11 big league seasons in Houston.
The 33-year-old former Rice University first-team All-American and National College Player of the Year in 1997 continues to headline the Astros lineup, which features slugger Carlos Lee, rising star Hunter Pence and Gold Glove center fielder Michael Bourn.
After an injury-plagued 2009 season, Berkman looks to get back on track with new manager Brad Mills at the helm this season.
Currently, he ranks No. 1 in club history in batting average (.299), OBP (.412) and SLG (.555), as well as second in home runs (313), third in RBI (1,041), sixth in games (1,508), fifth in at-bats (5,262), third in runs (969), fifth in hits (1,575), third in doubles (359), third in total bases (2,923) and third in walks (980).
Hooton, who will turn 60 on Sunday, may arguably be the greatest pitcher in University of Texas baseball history -- posting a 35-3 record with a 1.14 ERA and two no-hitters while being named a first-team All-American over three consecutive seasons (1969-1971) and leading the Longhorns to three SWC titles.
As the second overall pick in the 1971 First-Year Player Draft, Hooton recorded a no-hitter in only his fourth career start with the Chicago Cubs. His best seasons came in Los Angeles with the Dodgers from 1976-1984, in which Hooton was an All-Star selection, NLCS MVP and World Series champion in 1981.
He returned to his alma mater from 1996-99 as pitching coach before joining Triple-A Round Rock in December, 1999, and then the Astros halfway through the 2000 season.
From 2000-04, Hooton served as pitching coach for Astros managers Larry Dierker, Jimy Williams and Phil Garner, and had the opportunity of working with Roger Clemens (fellow UT alum), Andy Pettitte, Oswalt and Billy Wagner.
The San Antonio, Texas, resident decided to return to Round Rock in 2005, where he's held down the position as the Express' pitching coach ever since. Hooton was instrumental in the development of right-hander Bud Norris last season, who's expected to step up and play a critical role in the Astros' 2010 starting rotation.
Berkman and Hooton officially join Bagwell, Biggio, Clemens, Dierker, Joe Morgan and Nolan Ryan as former or current members of the Astros to be inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
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