Renteria Leads By Six Votes
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
June 28, 2004
It's time to get clicking, Cardinals fans. The race for the starting shortstop on the National League All-Star team is so close that a single fan's vote could make the difference between Edgar Renteria and Adam Everett as the starter at Minute Maid Park on July 13.
Six votes -- that's right, six -- make up Renteria's margin over the Houston shortstop in the latest balloting totals, announced on Monday. The reigning Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner is one of three Cards leading at their respective positions.
"When the fans vote for you, you have to be happy and appreciate it," Renteria said. "And the way you appreciate it is to still play hard and respect the game. That's the way you respond to appreciation."
Scott Rolen holds an overwhelming lead at third base and Albert Pujols leading Jeff Bagwell by a decent -- but not insurmountable -- number of votes at first base.
That's right. If the balloting ended today, Cardinals would make up three-fourths of the NL infield. Jim Edmonds ranks eighth among outfielders, while Tony Womack is fifth in the voting at second base. Womack and Edmonds might need near-miracles to catch up, but it's not completely out of the question. Just remember Pujols' charge last summer from fourth place among outfielders to the leading NL vote-getter.
Rolen, a leading midseason candidate for MVP in the Senior Circuit, has 1,811,831 votes, over a million more votes than second-place Aramis Ramirez of the Cubs. Pujols (1,533,898) holds an edge of better than 300,000 votes over Bagwell. And then there's shortstop, where Renteria has bounced back from two straight weeks of trailing Everett. He has received 986,688 votes to Everett's 986,682.
Renteria, Rolen and Pujols all started for the NL at U.S. Cellular Field in 2003, though Pujols made it as an outfielder that year. Jim Edmonds, who was named as a reserve to the National League team last year, ranks eighth among outfielders but distantly trails third-place Ken Griffey Jr.
Rolen has started at third base for the NL the past two years -- as a Phillie in 2002 and a Cardinal in '03. Pujols is a two-time All-Star, but last season brought his first start.
Renteria is having a down year at the plate, but the two-time Gold Glover is still regarded by many as the league's best all-around shortstop, and he's been hot lately. Last year was his third All-Star Game, but his first as a starter. He became the first player from Colombia to be voted an All-Star starter.
"Any All-Star Game is special for me," Renteria said. "It's fun for everybody and it's exciting for the players. For me to play is also good for my country. I always feel happy if I go."
In-stadium balloting has ended, but fans can still cast their votes up to 25 times in the Ameriquest All-Star Online Ballot, which is available exclusively at StLCardinals.com, MLB.com and the rest of the 30 team sites. Online balloting ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 30, so hurry.
The starters and reserves will be announced on July 4, and fans will once again be able to determine the 32nd men for each league with the Ameriquest All-Star Final Vote.
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