Renteria Finally Gets His Due
By R.B. Fallstrom Associated Press
May 20, 2003
Edgar Renteria's days as an underappreciated member of the Cardinals' lineup are over. The soft-spoken No. 6 hitter is second in the National League in batting average.
Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds make a lot more money, and Albert Pujols was the MVP runnerup to Barry Bonds last year. But Renteria is perhaps the team's most valuable player so far this season.
``He's been amazing,'' leadoff hitter and double play partner Fernando Vina said. ``You look at his year so far and he's been on fire with two or three hits a game."
``It's incredible what he's done.''
No one is more consistent, at the plate or in the field. Renteria won his first Gold Glove last year and has stayed at that high level this season, routinely ranging into the hole and then firing a bullet across the infield in time to nip the runner.
At the plate, he racked up his National League-leading 21st multihit game in a 2-0 victory over the Cubs on Monday. It's a rare game when he doesn't make a meaningful contribution.
``It's fun to watch him, the way he runs the bases, the way he plays defense, and at the plate,'' manager Tony La Russa said. ``He's really a beautiful player to watch.''
Renteria has led the NL in hitting much of the year, and was second behind Gary Sheffield of the Braves with a .352 average entering a six-game trip that begins tonight in Houston. He leads the team with 31 RBIs from far down in the order, a clear indication of his value.
He's tough to pitch to, because he'll take whatever he's given.
``He's got such a good approach at the plate,'' Rolen said. ``He doesn't try to do too much, he doesn't try or pull everything, he tries to stay right up the middle.''
La Russa experimented with Renteria in the third slot in spring training and wouldn't hesitate to put him in one of the power slots if he had to. Renteria also batted leadoff for a time three years ago and has hit second.
He prefers to stay right where he is because of the RBI possibilities, piling up seven in a three-game series with the Mets at the end of April and getting two homers and a career-best five RBIs against the Astros' Roy Oswalt in mid-April. But he's also a team player who'll do whatever is needed.
``I definitely feel more comfortable in the sixth hole, no question about it,'' Renteria said. ``I like it a lot there. But I'll hit anywhere he wants me to hit.''
The Cardinals' lineup is so solid that Renteria began the year batting seventh. He switched places with slumping Tino Martinez, who has only 10 RBIs, last week.
``The challenge of driving in runs turns him on the most, more than scoring runs,'' La Russa said. ``If we had nobody for the front of the lineup and a bunch of guys for the middle, I'd hit him in the front."
``But you always feel you pick up an edge when you can hit a guy in a place that he really is challenge by.''
Renteria won his second Silver Slugger award as the NL's best-hitting shortstop last year and is on pace for a 20-homer, 122-RBI season, which would be franchise records. La Russa wouldn't be surprised if he added a batting title this year.
``I think he's a legitimate .300 hitter, and then we'll see,'' La Russa said. ``A lot of things have to come together, but he's getting better all the time.''
Renteria said he hasn't considered that possibility.
``No, never,'' he said. ``I don't think about a batting title or anything like that. I just try to help the team and be ready every day, and I'll do anything to help the team win.''
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