Berkman and Pettitte team up for Men’s program at Second Baptist West

It was a First Baptist Church…but Pettitte has admitted to a Second.

The Waco-born Berkman, now age 36, will report in the coming days to training camp with the St. Louis Cardinals, a team that he signed with as a free agent following the 2010 season. Berkman played the last two months of that season with the New York Yankees following a trade that took him away from the only professional organization he had ever known.

“The hardest time in my professional life was when I was traded to New York. I had been in Houston a long time. I was very comfortable, played at Rice, a native Texan, so it was like a dream come true,” Berkman said. “For the first two weeks (following the trade) I literally wanted to cry. I felt so bad. I was having a bad season, and was in a completely new and alien environment. I just felt overwhelmed. Fortunately, I did have one friend in New York, and that was the main reason I waived my no-trade clause and went up there because Andy (Pettitte) was there.”

Berkman was joined on the stage Tuesday with the former Yankee and Astro pitcher Pettitte, as well as former Astros shortstop Craig Reynolds and Yankees shortstop Bobby Meacham. Reynolds is currently a pastor with Second Baptist and Meacham is the first-base coach for Houston.