Reds Roaster Lance Berkman May Come Off Cards DL on Saturday

Lance Berkman does cartwheels on the tarmac at CVG knowing he gets to hit in Cincinnati.  It doesn't matter whether it is Riverfront Stadium or Great American Ball Park.  Like the little kid who pulls his parents to the carousel to ride the porcelain ponies, Berkman rushes to the park in the Queen City, even when he's hurt.

Berkman has been out of action since May 20 but may be activated by the Cardinals on Saturday.

"For me it's just getting my body back in shape to swing the bat," Berkman said.  "I'm about there.  I don't expect to go out there and be in mid-season form.  The reality is for not having played in a couple months, the reality is you're going to be a little sore."

The plan is to activate Berkman on Saturday but it is not written in stone.

"We'll see how he feels tomorrow.  We put him through some tests today," first-year Cardinal manager Mike Matheny said.

Being removed in Cincinnati would cure any ailments the switch hitting firstbaseman might have.

In Riverfront Stadium Berkman hit .395 with nine home runs and 31 RBI over 22 games.
At Great American Ball Park he is hitting .330 with 23 home runs and 58 RBI in 59 games.

"I could probably tell you why I'm so successful here but not on the record," Berkman said with a smile.  "It's just one of those deals where if this isn't the best place to hit, it's in the top two or three ballparks in terms of places to hit, especially in summer the ball flies out of here.  In fact Riverfront Stadium might have been a better place to hit because it had turf and you could hit a ball on the ground and get a base hit.  You could hit a ball in the air it would go out of the ballpark.  It was one of the great hitter's ballparks that I've ever seen and this place is right up there with it.  I don't want to insult anybody that designed it or anything."

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