It's time to play another game I like to call...Did You Know?
Did you know that former Houston Astros hitting coach and erstwhile third baseman Sean Berry was drafted ninth overall in 1986?
Or that he was drafted and debuted with the Kansas City Royals?
Or that he played enough in Houston to hit 79 career home run?
That's why he's on our list today, as we celebrate Game No. 79 with a look at the only player in franchise history to hit precisely 79 doubles.
Berry played for Houston in three seasons, one less than he did in Montreal. But, Berry actually had more plate appearances for the Astros than he did for any other team. His line of. 283/.342/.476 is very respectable, but when you add in the fact he was a third baseman, his stock goes up even higher.
Time to go back into Did You Know mode...
Did you know that Berry was traded from Montreal to Houston for Raul Chavez and Dave Veres? That's right, Chamo! The amazing backstop...well, maybe not amazing, but a viable backup to Brad Ausmus on both the 2004 and 2005 teams, and Houston traded him away before reacquiring him later on in life.
Of course, you can't argue with what Houston did here, but I'm sure people will. See, Berry had the unenviable task of replacing one of the most popular Astros of the '90s in Ken Caminiti, right before he went on a 'roid and Snickers-fueled rampage through the National League with the Padres. No matter how good Berry was for Houston, the shadow of Caminiti loomed over his head.
He was good, but he never really played an entire season for Houston, basically platooning with guys like Billy Spiers. Then, after retiring, he got a job as hitting coach with Houston and held that for five seasons before being fired in favor of Jeff Bagwell. So, that's another guy overshadowing any work he might have done.
There are plenty of reasons why you can nitpick Berry, but overall, I think he gets a raw deal in Houston's history. He was pretty good when he was here in both capacities and deserves a little shout-out.