HOUSTON -- Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt signed one-day contracts and officially retired as Astros on Saturday. Ahmad Bradshaw Jersey . Berkman and Oswalt were drafted by the Astros a year apart and came up through the minors together before Berkman made his major league debut in 1999 and Oswalt followed less than two years later. "Its an honour to come back here and retire as an Astro," Oswalt said. "Lance and I both came up through the organization about the same time. We got to play together for a long time. The best thing about Houston was that it was always home. I know Im speaking for myself, but I went to Philadelphia, Texas and Colorado afterwards, but Houston has always been home." Berkman said it was special to play for an organization that had the tradition the Astros did. "We all kind of felt like we were all part of the Astros family," Berkman said. "Thats what made this, in my opinion, a special place to be. They made a conscious effort to draft guys, develop them and keep them here for a long time." As part of the pregame ceremony to celebrate the two players, a video played with comments from Nolan Ryan, Jake Peavy, Tony La Russa and Albert Pujols and former teammates Brad Ausmus, Andy Pettitte, Craig Biggio and Adam Everett. Both players were given multiple standing ovations by the crowd at Minute Maid Park and presented with their framed 2005 World Series jerseys along with personalized rocking chairs and Stetson hats. It was also announced that the two Texas flags flying at the State Capital in Austin on Saturday would be framed and given to the two players. Oswalt, the MVP of the 2005 NLCS, ranks second in wins and strikeouts in franchise history. Oswalt went 2-0 mark with a 1.29 ERA in the Astros six-game series win over St. Louis and was the starter and winner of the Astros Game Six series-clinching win at Busch Stadium. Berkman spent 12 of his 15 seasons in the majors with the Astros after being Houstons first pick in the 1997 draft out of Rice. For his career, he hit .293 in 1,879 games with 366 home runs and 1,234 RBIs with a .406 on-base percentage and a .537 slugging percentage. Oswalt finished his 13-season career with a 163-102 record in 365 appearances -- 341 starts -- with a 3.36 ERA. Oswalt, a three-time All Star, reached 20 wins in 2004 and 2005 and was a 19-game winner in 2002. After being selected by the Astros in the 23rd round of the 1996 draft, Oswalt was called up to the majors in 2001, finishing that season with a 14-3 record in 28 appearances -- 20 starts -- with a 2.73 ERA. "You always wonder when it will be your last year," Oswalt said. "My goal when I first started was to play 10 years. I felt that if you play 10 solid years in the big leagues, you have had a solid year, and I got to play 13. I feel like some days I can still play. I didnt want to walk away that way where you cant play anymore. Thats pretty special." Bjoern Werner White Jersey .ca Fantasy Editor Scott Cullen, NFL Editor Ben Fisher, and Isaac Owusu discuss three hot fantasy football topics. Bjoern Werner Colts Jersey . His agent told TSN that the deal is "virtually done" and will be official in the next day or two. The news comes with Torontos season opener set for this Saturday on the road against the Seattle Sounders (TSN, 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt).CLEVELAND -- LeBron James could picture returning one day to the place where his NBA journey began. Back in Cleveland. Imagine that. After practising in a gym where he refined his game for seven seasons, James said Thursday he would not rule out a return to the Cavaliers, a team he carried to the brink of a title before he spurned an entire region by leaving as a free agent in 2010 to chase a championship with Miami. Asked if he could play for the Cavs again, James initially paused before giving his answer. "I dont know. I think it would be great," he said. "It would be fun to play in front of these fans again. I had a lot fun times in my seven years here. You cant predict the future and hopefully I continue to stay healthy. Im here as a Miami Heat player, and Im happy where I am now, but I dont rule that out in no sense. "And if I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me." James comments may have been calculated, coming one day before the Cavs host the Heat for the third time since the superstars infamous and messy exit from Cleveland. In mentioning a possible reunion, he may be trying to soften the negative response hell get Friday night from fans who havent forgotten what he did to them. However, James appeared sincere when talking about a potential return to the Cavs, his fractured relationship with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and topics ranging from phenom Jeremy Lin to rookie Kyrie Irving following practice on the fourth floor of Quicken Loans Arena. Perhaps it was because he was back in familiar surroundings that prompted James remarks. Or maybe its part of a larger agenda. Whatever the case, his past with Cleveland, and his decision to bolt from the Cavs, will always be a sensitive subject. After all, James put Cleveland back on the NBA map by taking the Cavs to one finals and winning two MVP awards during his stay. He left the franchise during a summer in which he held an entire city at bay as it awaited his decision. After he announced he was joining the Heat during a nationally televised special, the Akron native was vilified by the same fans who cheered every one of his dribbles and dunks. Time has healed some of the wounds -- not all. James said he has made no attempt to patch things up with Gilbert, who harshly criticized James in a scathing letter to Clevelands fans. Gilbert promised to win a title before James, questioned his character and told The Associated Press he felt James quit on the Cavs during the playoffs. James said he has no bitterness toward Gilbert. They have not spoken since James met with the Cavaliers on July 3, 2010, when they were one of several teams courting him to sign with them. "I dont have any hard feelings. He said what he said and Ive moved on," said James, who is under contract with the Heat for two more seasons. "But theres been no attempt to patch things up." James, however, said he can envision being friends again with Gilbert. "I dont hold grudges," he said. "I hold them a little bit, but I dont hold them that long. He said what he said out of anger and he would probably want to take that back. But I made a mistake, too, and there are some things I would want to take back as well. Ahmad Bradshaw Womens Jersey. "You make mistakes and move on." But could he play for Gilbert? "Dan is not the coach," he said. "I can play for any coach. Well see what happens." Attempts to reach Gilbert were unsuccessful. Two years ago, Gilbert was fined $100,000 for his comments about James following "The Decision." It wasnt clear if by "mistake" James meant the way he announced his departure from Cleveland or joining the Heat. He insists hes happy in South Florida and committed to winning a title with the Heat, who are favoured to win it all this season after losing to Dallas in the finals last June. James acknowledged hes changed and enjoying hoops the way he once did. "Im back to how I was in Cleveland, having fun with the game, appreciating the game, loving the game and playing at a high level," he said. "I got away from that last year. It was a difficult year for me last year, making the whole transition, on and off the floor, going through everything I went through. "I just got back to how I got to this point, back to playing the way I know how to play." James comments about a return to Cleveland -- albeit unlikely -- caught former teammate Antawn Jamison off guard. "It surprises me that hes saying that now," said Jamison, who played 25 games with James in 2010 after coming over in a trade. "Three years down the road it wouldnt surprise me if he entertains the idea. But hey, after the first go-round, I dont think anything would surprise you as far as scenarios taking place." Cavs guard Daniel Gibson cant envision Cleveland fans ever receiving James warmly again. He may have moved on. They havent.. "I dont think hed be welcome," Gibson said. "Not with the way that went down. It was a pretty tough situation. Im sure they wouldnt feel comfortable with that at all." For the moment, and for at least the next two seasons, James is with the Heat. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra has seen a renewal in James, who he believes will one day be warmly recognized by Cavs fans for his time in Cleveland. "Time heals a lot of things and LeBron had many special years here," Spoelstra said. "There probably will be a time in the future where he will be embraced and acknowledged for the great run that they had here. Its a new chapter for their organization and theyve got a bright future ahead." James knows whats coming on Friday. Hes prepared for a rough reception, but not as hostile as the one the seven-time All-Star got on Dec. 2 last season. James expects to hear boos, but maybe not as many obscenities. "It doesnt sting anymore," James said. "The booing isnt as bad as it was last year so its not even a big deal." James comments about a hypothetical return to Cleveland didnt surprise teammate Dwyane Wade, his running mate in Miami. Even Wade, who stayed with James at his home Bath, Ohio, could imagine his friend reuniting with the Cavs -- some day. "Anything is possible," Wade said. "Hopefully, Im retired." cheap jerseyscheap jerseys from china ' ' '
