Sean Berry, the Astros' hitting coach, watched Lance Berkman dig in for an at-bat Sunday in Dodger Stadium, and Berry reviewed the situation in his mind.
Jonathan Broxton was on the mound for the Dodgers, and he sometimes will aim fastballs just off the outside corner to start an at-bat, to tease the hitters. Berry hoped that if Broxton did this, Berkman would lay off the pitch, stay patient and wait for something else. In the past, Berkman hasn't always done this. "He has so much confidence as a hitter," said Berry, "that he's convinced he can hit anything."
Broxton aimed a fastball, just off the plate -- and Berkman took it, as Berry had hoped. And now Berkman was in business. With the bases loaded, Broxton was forced to throw his next pitch over the plate, and the switch-hitting Berkman smashed a two-run single into left field.
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Buster Olney
