Renteria Riding Out A Rough Time Shortstop Continues To Struggle With Bat, Glove
By Paul Harber, Globe Staff
May 22, 2005
The frustration is mounting for Edgar Renteria.
Friday night, he left seven men on base. Last night, his
weekend didn't
get any better in the Red Sox' 7-5 loss to Atlanta, and the shortstop
had left
the clubhouse when media entered after the game.
Renteria mishandled a grounder from Rafael
Furcal, the first batter
of the game. He popped to short with two runners on in the third, and
struck out
with Johnny Damon aboard in the fifth. His throwing error in the sixth
his
eighth error of the season led to another Atlanta run.
Renteria scored after stroking a double to right-center in
the seventh,
but in the ninth, he was called out on strikes by plate umpire Andy
Fletcher and
was quickly ejected after voicing his displeasure with the call.
Fletcher is the same umpire who, from his first base
position Friday
night, gave Braves second baseman Marcus Giles the heave-ho after he
called him
out on a check swing. Fletcher nearly sent David Ortiz to the showers
in the
first inning last night after Ortiz was called out on strikes.
"I think Edgar, and David earlier in the game [weren't
happy with the
strike zone]," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "We take so much pride
making
pitchers come onto the plate and I think they both thought those balls
were a
little off. And when they get pitches they feel are a little off,
especially
with runners on base, it's frustrating for them. It's frustrating for
all of us."
And that's not taking anything away from Braves rookie Kyle
Davies, who
earned a victory in his major league debut. "The kid's got good stuff.
He had
good location. But he had a big strike zone tonight and that makes it
tougher
for us," said Ortiz. "[Renteria will] be fine. He just had a tough
night.
"When things are not going well and you are a good player,
frustrations
are going to come up. This wasn't the first time and it won't be the
last time
he will be frustrated. Everybody gets booed and that's OK, but when
it's the
home team, it just gets in the way. People just might want to take it
easy on
him. I know we have the best fans in the house and I know they are
going to
understand. He'll get back to a groove."
Jason Varitek also is optimistic the Red Sox and Renteria
will turn it
around. "I just know," he said. "Guys will start getting their hits.
"[Renteria] is working his butt off. He wants to be the
player we know he
is capable of being. We all have a ton of confidence in Edgar. He is
going to do
well for this team. We need him to do well for this team. He's been a
very
clutch player everywhere he has been and he will be here, too."
Varitek said Renteria "is a tremendous teammate. He's a
great guy to talk
about baseball. He has so many things to offer. He is a great baseball
player.
You can see it in the way he plays. He just needs some good things to
happen."
The Red Sox captain also admires Renteria's work ethic.
"Just follow him
around for a day. See the work he puts in," said Varitek. "He set that
example
in spring training. He grabbed Hanley Ramirez and told him that he has
to do his
workouts. To a young guy like Hanley, he really pulled him along and
showed him
what it takes to be a great shortstop. We just haven't seen Edgar's
true game
yet."
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