Renteria Hints At Future Switch
By Chris Snow, Globe Staff
June 28, 2005
Each morning during spring training, almost without fail, the two
teammates
would sit together in the clubhouse at City of Palms Park, eating
breakfast,
reading, and talking, awaiting the arrival of everyone else.
Many people took notice of the relationship between
Colombia-born
shortstop Edgar Renteria and Dominican-born shortstop Hanley Ramirez,
including
the Red Sox manager.
"Edgar Renteria has done a great job of making him feel
wanted," Terry
Francona said in March. "It's nice to see."
Yesterday, Renteria made his most interesting --
and selfless --
gesture yet toward the 21-year-old prospect. Ramirez was on hand
yesterday --
just visiting during a day off for his Portland team -- and while
discussing the
Double A phenom, Renteria, without prompting, said he'd be willing to
give up
his position when Ramirez is ready for the big leagues.
"His talent is incredible," Renteria said. "When you see
someone you like,
you're happy for them, you want them to play well. I don't mind that he
plays my
position. He has the talent to play, if there are ways for him to make
it for
him to move to another position or me to move to another position."
Would Renteria who has played shortstop for all but two of
his 1,300-plus
career games be willing to do that?
"If I have to," said Renteria, who in December signed a
four-year, $40
million contract (plus an option for 2009). "I don't know another
position. But
if I have to, I'll do it." The popular theory is that
the Sox will
convert Ramirez into a center fielder who can patrol Johnny Damon's
outfield
spot once agent Scott Boras comes asking for a deal, say, in the
neighborhood of
five years, $60 million after the season. But Ramirez is playing
shortstop every
day in Portland, and no member of the Sox brass has indicated that
he'll do
anything otherwise.
"I don't know about [Ramirez playing] center," Renteria
said. "I just know
one thing. That he can play."
It's an interesting proposition, Ramirez at shortstop and
Renteria at
either second or third base. Their athleticism -- perhaps even as a
double-play
tandem -- is tantalizing. So, too, is the timing -- second baseman Mark
Bellhorn
and third baseman Bill Mueller are signed only through the end of this
season.
"I think he's ready, man," Renteria said. "What I see in
spring training,
I think physically he's ready. He's an aggressive hitter."
When told Ramirez lacks plate discipline, Renteria said,
"Let him hit.
Because he's got talents. When you see him you see a big talent. I
think I can
help him to make it to the big leagues."
Starting a debate
With a 9-1 record, a 3.33 ERA, and two more starts before
the All-Star
break Friday vs. Toronto and next Wednesday at Texas it's not
inconceivable that
Matt Clement could start for the American League in the July 12
All-Star Game.
Speaking of which, who chooses who starts that game on the
mound?
"I think that's our call," Francona said.
As manager of the AL All-Star team, Francona, along with
his staff, enjoy
that privilege. Clement's fifth day would be the off day before the
All-Star
Game, meaning he'd be rested to start the game, which will decide
home-field
advantage for the World Series.
His competition figures to be Chicago's Jon Garland (12-3,
3.25 ERA) and
Mark Buehrle (9-1, 2.48 ERA), Toronto's Roy Halladay (11-4, 2.51 ERA),
and Texas
's Kenny Rogers (9-3, 2.46 ERA).
Clement has never been a All-Star. The last Sox pitcher to
start the
Midsummer Classic was Derek Lowe in 2002, when Lowe was 12-4 with a
2.36 ERA at
the break.
Francona will weigh the wishes of each pitcher's manager.
Francona has
called all 13 AL managers, talking with many, leaving messages for the
rest. He
'll also consider each pitcher's rest which seems to be working in
Clement's
favor.
Halladay's last scheduled start before the break is July
10, meaning he'd
have only one day of rest between that start and the All-Star Game.
Buehrle and
Rogers are both scheduled for their last start July 9, which means
they'd have
to start the All-Star Game on two days' rest.
Garland, as his schedule sets up, would be starting the
All-Star Game on
three-days' rest.
Clement could help his case, and make the decision easier
for Francona,
with two good outings. If he goes seven innings and allows two runs in
each, he
'd be 11-1 with a 3.24 ERA. If he were to reel off two seven-inning,
no-run
starts, he'd be 11-1 with a 2.93 ERA.
"Do I feel a loyalty to our guys? Hell yeah, you're
supposed to," said
Francona. "I don't remember Joe Torre ever apologizing in that period
there
[when he was choosing Yankees for the team], and I'm not sure I ever
thought he
should have."
That thinking should help Mike Timlin , who's never been an
All-Star
despite a career ERA of 3.52 in parts of 15 big-league seasons.
Francona and his
staff get to choose four pitchers and one position player to fill out
the
roster. The caveat is that each AL team must be represented, which
could
handcuff Francona.
"The rules are what they are," said Francona. "We've been
ranking guys. We
have a pretty good idea. There's probably only going to be a couple
choices.
"There's some names, actually quite a few names. Timlin
right at the top
of the list. The kid [ Jesse ] Crain in Minnesota, his numbers are
silly."
Timlin is 2-1 with a 1.21 ERA in 37 1/3 innings. Crain,
also a righthanded
reliever, was 6-0 with a 1.04 ERA in 34 2/3 innings entering last
night.
Wrist no concern
Despite taking most of Sunday off at Francona's urging
Renteria's sore
left wrist is not the source of concern that, say, Damon's right
shoulder is.
"Oh no, no," Francona said. "I kind of talked [Edgar] into that day
off. In fact
he's a lot better than he was last week, and he played all last week. I
think
you can see he's been swinging it better now than he was before."
Renteria went
into last night hitting .315 with 4 HRs and 15 RBIs in his last 29
games...
David Wells agitated his left foot running the bases Sunday, the same
foot that
cost him a month of the season with a sprained plantar fascia ligament.
But the
lefthander isn't expected to miss any time...
Sports Illustrated
columnist
Rick Reilly was in the Sox dugout before the game interviewing Damon...
Francona on his visit to Philadelphia, where he managed for four
seasons: "I don't even think they booed me that good. They were having a tough week. I
saw a
lot of people that I'd gotten close to, so there were a lot of nice
things."
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