HOUSTON—Astros first baseman Lance Berkman and former Major League pitcher Burt Hooton, who currently serves as pitching coach at Triple A Round Rock, will be among several individuals inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco, TX on Monday, February 8.
The Texas Sports Hall of Fame, which began in 1951, is for athletes, coaches or administrators “that have brought lasting fame and honor to Texas sports.” Each year, a committee selects a new set of inductees from a list of nominees.
The 33-year-old Berkman, a five-time All-Star with 313 home runs in his career with the Astros, is a Waco, TX native and a graduate of New Braunfels Canyon High School. During his three-year baseball career at Rice University (1995-97), Berkman earned first-team All-America honors and in 1997 was named the National College Player of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Hooton, who is in his sixth season as Round Rock’s pitching coach, won 151 games in his Major League career. While at the University of Texas, he posted a 35-3 record in three seasons (1969-71) with a 1.14 ERA while leading the Longhorns to three SWC titles. Hooton, who returned to the University of Texas as their pitching coach for four seasons (1996-99), had his number retired by the Longhorns in 2009.
The TSHOF, which includes athletes from several sports, also includes former Astros Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio and Larry Dierker as members.
