Notes: Gold Glovers Switch Up
Rolen makes nifty play at shortstop
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
May 31, 2004
PITTSBURGH -- According to the hardware, the best defensive shortstop in the National League the past two years has been Edgar Renteria. But after a spiffy play on Monday, it looks like Renteria might have competition as the slickest-fielding shortstop on his own team.
Five-time Gold Glove third baseman Scott Rolen turned a nifty double play on a feed from Renteria in the third inning of St. Louis' 8-3 win over Pittsburgh. With Jack Wilson on first and lefty Daryle Ward at the plate, the Cardinals went into an extreme shift, with Renteria playing to the right side of second base. Ward grounded to Renteria, who flipped to Rolen covering second, and Rolen fired to first baseman Albert Pujols for the rare 6-5-3 double play.
"Rolen and Renteria, that's the first time they've even been involved in one, and the first time I've ever seen one," said manager Tony La Russa. "We got a big kick out of that one. I don't know how important it was, but it was fun."
Rolen played plenty of shortstop before he established himself as an elite third baseman at the professional level, and it was evident from the natural-looking way that he turned the DP.
"I had just told Edgar about three pitches before that, 'If it's hit to you, I guess I have to cover the bag,'" he said. "I looked around and I didn't see anybody else that was gonna get there. To actually say something and it actually happen like that...
"I just took off and went as fast as I could. Jack Wilson, I don't think he could have possibly broken it up because he didn't know what was going on."
Cracked second baseman Tony Womack: "I just felt like I was in the way. I said, I guess you guys don't need me."
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