Lance Berkman, who agreed to terms with the Rangers on a contract Saturday, wants the team's fans to know that he was wrong about his assessment of the club a few years ago and plans to win them over with his play.
Berkman said before the 2011 season began that he thought the Rangers were going to be an average team despite making the World Series the previous season.
He also questioned whether the team's long-term deal with Adrian Beltre was "a reach."
"I'm prepared to let bygones be bygones, but I understand the fans remembering those comments," Berkman said. "Ultimately, I had to eat some crow and I was happy to do that. I tend to share an unvarnished opinion and not everyone was going to like that answer. It was my honest opinion and I was proved to be incorrect in my assessment, and it was not the first time I've been wrong.
"This is a different team and a different scenario and I'm happy to be a part of the Rangers organization. It's a winning team. Hopefully by playing well, I'll be able to win over some of those fans I ostracized by shooting my mouth off before."