I have always been a Ryan Klesko fan. When Klesko was playing minor-league ball in Durham, N.C., Willie Stargell, who was scouting for the Braves at the time, told me Klesko would be a special player. He liked left-handed power hitters for obvious reasons. When Klesko was with the Braves, he often didn't play against left-handed pitching. Now with the Padres, he knows he will play everyday and is having a fantastic season, hitting home runs and even stealing bases.
Players learn as they play and watch the game.
Today's pitchers are more concerned about allowing home runs than they are stolen bases. So Klesko has taken advantage of pitchers paying less attention to him when he's on base. Berkman is having a monster season. One reason is that he is hitting cleanup behind Bagwell. But Berkman has done a great job hitting behind Bagwell and keeping pitchers honest.