William Lance Berkman (born February 10, 1976), nicknamed "Big Puma", is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. Berkman is a six-time MLB All-Star and won a World Series championship and the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award with the Cardinals in 2011. He stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m), and weighs 220 pounds (100 kg). Berkman spent various seasons of his career as a regular at all three outfield positions.\n', '

A standout baseball player at Canyon High School, Berkman attended Rice University, where he played college baseball for the Owls. Named the 1997 National College Player of the Year, the Astros selected Berkman in the first round of that year\'s amateur draft, and he debuted in the major leagues in 1999. He joined the Astros\' vaunted "Killer B\'s" lineup that included Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio as all three players were instrumental in the club\'s playoff success. The Astros traded Berkman to the Yankees at the 2010 trade deadline. He signed with the Cardinals as a free agent for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Berkman played a key part in the Cardinals winning the 2011 World Series, hitting a game-tying single in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 6, with the Cardinals just one strike away from elimination. He played the 2013 season with the Rangers before signing a one-day contract with Houston to officially retire as an Astro.\n', '

Active in charity work, Forbes recognized him on their list of "30 most generous celebrities" in 2012. He has led a group called "Berkman\'s Bunch," an outreach for 50 underprivileged kids to meet Berkman before each Saturday home game for autographs and other gifts. In 2013, he purchased a fire truck and donated it to the City of West, Texas, after the West Fertilizer Company explosion.\n', '

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