Cards Hope Renteria's Game Fits New Contract
Rick Hummel
Post-Dispatch
March 1, 2000
From making $ 1.85 million last season, Cardinals shortstop Edgar Renteria suddenly is brandishing a four-year contract totaling $ 20 million. It hasn't always been a good idea to hand young players a lot of money in a long-term arrangement, but Renteria seems to look at it in the right perspective.
"It's insurance for my family and it's insurance for me," he said. "But that doesn't affect my game. I still play hard and I still play every day."
Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said he saw enough of Renteria's character to allocate such a considerable amount of money to a young player.
"It's always a tough decision which players to invest your money in," Jocketty said, "but he's always a guy who's a very hard worker, loves to play the game, and that's evidenced by how he tries to play every single game every year. I don't think that will ever change.
"The only thing you'd be concerned about with him is injuries. ... You look at Renteria after four years' service and you look at what Derek J eter signed for after four years' service (Jeter signed with the NY Yankees for one year at $ 11 million). That's a $ 5 million or $ 6 million difference.
"Ideally, you'd like to sign these guys year to year, but with the way salaries have escalated, sometimes it's in your best interests to sign them (to long-term deals) and live with it. But, in his case, he's a very proud man and I don't think he'd do anything to hurt himself or his team."
Renteria, who hit .275 and stole 37 bases in his first year with the Cardinals after coming from Florida, has several new teammates, including second baseman Fernando Vina, acquired from Milwaukee.
Renteria played next to five starting second basemen last year - Joe McEwing, Placido Polanco, Adam Kennedy, David Howard and Craig Paquette. This year, if the plan falls into place, Renteria and Vina should line up at least 140 times together.
Cardinals coach Jose Oquendo thought McEwing, who had 85 starts at second, had done a creditable job. "He got every routine ball that needed to be caught. I think turning the double play he was lacking and that hurt us a lot," Oquendo said.
Vina is known for his quick hands on the double play. "He could be quicker than me, I don't know," joked Oquendo, a star defensively for the Cardinals about 10 years ago. "In tough double-play situations, you're going to see that double play being made instead of not being made."
"(Vina) is a good second baseman," Renteria said. "And he's a good leadoff man, and now I come back to second, which is my position (in the lineup)."
Renteria actually hit higher when batting first (.288) than second (.262) last year. But he insists he is more comfortable hitting second "I know how to do my job hitting second," he said. "I can bunt for a base h it, like when there's a man at second and nobody out."
Renteria was bothered all spring and much of the season by a bone bruise above his right knee which was slow to heal. But he led the club in appearances with 154.
"Now, I am all right," said Renteria, who worked out much of the offseason at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, where he lives.
Oquendo, who was the Cardinals' bench coach last year but will be at third base this year, said he can see Renteria suffering early in the season but coming on later.
"Last year, I think he was a little out of shape," Oquendo said. "He had a bad leg and that took a lot out of him. This year, he came more prepared, not only for his contract but he's physically stronger.
"I'm excited about the whole infield, including the catcher (Eli Marrero). Vina; Renteria, if he improves on his season of last year; (Fernando) Tatis and Marrero, all could be Gold Glove players."
For the moment, Oquendo omitted first baseman Mark McGwire, who won a Gold Glove with Oakland several years ago. "That," McGwire said dryly, "is one more Gold Glove than Jose Oquendo won."
Oquendo made just three errors, setting a record for second basemen in 1990 with the Cardinals, but he lost the Gold Glove to Chicago Cubs infielder Ryne Sandbereg, "because he hit 40 homers," Oquendo said.
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