Martinez, Renteria Are Switched In Batting Order
DAN O'NEILL Post-Dispatch
May 15, 2003
If you can't beat them, try changing the batting order.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa showed the Cincinnati Reds a slightly different look on Wednesday, hoping for dramatically different results. It didn't work, as the Cardinals lost for the sixth consecutive time to the Reds. But the changes may make sense in the long run.
La Russa flip-flopped Edgar Renteria and Tino Martinez in the order, with Renteria moving into the six hole and Martinez dropping back to seventh. Eddie Perez, who started in right field, batted in the second spot. La Russa had two goals in mind: separation and inspiration.
"The other way was fine, but this way you work another hitter into separation between your lefties," La Russa explained. "You get a guy like (Reds lefthanded reliever Kent Mercker) coming in and he has to face a lefty and two righties instead of lefty-right."
Fair enough, but let's not ignore the obvious. The Cardinals' offense has been stagnant of late. Caught in a 1-7 stretch, Cardinals batters are 10 for their past 62 with runners in scoring position (.163).
Martinez has been part of the problem, not part of the cure. The lefthanded-swinging first baseman has not driven in a run since April 26. He is batting .103 (three for 29) with runners in scoring position. He had not had a multiple-RBI day, at least one that counts, since opening day. Martinez had two home runs and four RBIs that were washed away in the Hurricane Wrigley rainout last Sunday.
On the other hand, the offensively versatile Renteria was leading the NL in batting with a .364 mark to go along with five homers and 30 RBIs. He was delivering at a .349 clip with runners in scoring position. As a sixth-place hitter this season, Renteria was batting .441 with two homers and 14 RBIs before going one for three on Wednesday. He batted .302 with 42 RBIs from the six hole last year.
La Russa believes he could have Renteria bat cleanup, if the situation called for it. "Ability-wise there are several spots he fits real well," La Russa said. "I think if you had to hit Edgar fourth, because he's a competitor and he's a player, I think he'd do the job hitting fourth. What has happened with him over the last couple of years is the challenge of driving in runs turns him on the most, more than scoring runs. You always feel like you pick up an edge when you can hit a guy in a place where he feels challenged by it."
Changes notwithstanding, the Cardinals are confident they have enough talent to turn the offense around.
"We haven't played well for a week," said Scott Rolen, who has been among the few, the proud, the hitting. "We're a better club than what we're showing right now. You don't take anything for granted but you know this team will start playing better than what we've shown."
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