Something new: Berkman bats seventh

Lance Berkman is in the Yankees lineup, batting seventh as the designated hitter. He was asked to name the last time he was so low in a lineup. He said, "I don’t know if I’ve ever hit seventh. I’ve hit sixth before, I know that. But I also can’t remember a time when I’ve been on a team with eight Hall of Famers. That has a lot to do with it. They're driving the train, I'm just trying to help where I can."

About coming to this new intense level of competition and attention, he said,

"It's a little bit like when you get called up to the big leagues for the first time. You’re really trying to establish yourself as a major league player. I don’t know if I necessarily have to prove myself but I would like to earn the respect of this organization, the players who are here and this city, for playing well."

Berkman repeated that it has been an "emotional" couple of days, since being dealt from Houston, where he lives full time. He is happy that his wife and their four daughters --aged 9 to 1 -- came to New York Sunday night. Berkman had sat down with the family to explain what he called a "momentous" change in their lives. He recalls telling them, "Now look, Daddy doesn't play for the Astros any more. Daddy got traded to another team." The response from his second youngest daughter? She looked at her mom and said, "Can I hold the baby?"

Everyone does have priorities. In fact, when he told the girls that the family was going to New York, one of them exclaimed, "Oh good. We can go to that big toy store again."