Jason Lane wore a major-league uniform last season. Too often he took it off clean.
There’s not much dust on the bench. The former Texas League most valuable player went from playing every night in the minors to hoping to pinch-hit for the Astros.
Through patience comes paydirt.
With the off-season loss of free-agent center fielder Carlos Beltran to the New York Mets, the 28-year-old Lane stands to spend a great deal of time next season in the outfield grass of Minute Maid Park.
He and Willy Taveras likely will compete for starting spots next season for the Astros, who came within a game of playing in the World Series. Lane hasn’t played consistently since his 38-home run, 124-RBI season in 2001 with the Round Rock Express.
“I had the best time of my life there, both on and off the field,” Lane said last week in Round Rock, Texas, where he, Astros outfielder Lance Berkman and manager Phil Garner met with fans.
Lane hit .316 in 137 games for the Express in 2001. He finished third in the league in batting average, second in home runs and first in runs batted in.
He shuttled the next two seasons between Houston and its Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans. He played well, hitting .270 or better in each league both years, and landed on the Astros’ roster in 2004 only to watch most of the games from the dugout. Lane had three hits, including a home run, in the divisional series against Atlanta.
But here was a man accustomed to rounding first base every night, not every other weekend.
“Last year was tough, not getting to play every day,” he said. “You can also learn from that.”
So he watched Berkman, Beltran and Craig Biggio. Lane studied the way they patrolled their space, adjusted for hitters and, in the case of Beltran more than the others, managed the quirky berm at the base of the center-field wall. Lane said he came away better prepared.
“I expect great things,” he said. “I’ll find a way to get it done.”
The void left by Beltran is one thing. But the Astros also parted with star second baseman Jeff Kent, and Garner wants to see if Biggio can trot in from left field to turn double plays. That leaves two positions open in the outfield.
“If he gets to play every day,” Berkman said of Lane, “he’s going to pick up that slack and then some.”
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Lane has proved he can produce. He’s hit .280 in 169 games the last three seasons for the Astros. He started 13 games last season in right, six in left, three in center and one at first base.
“I’ll be ready for anything,” Lane said.
He’s proved that too.
“Here’s a guy who was standing with his bat in the dugout in every inning of every game,” Garner said.
Most of the time he just sat back down, disappointed he wasn’t going to pinch-hit. Now he realizes he soon could be on his feet a lot more.