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Renteria proving to be valuable
Veteran shortstop has been a hit this season with the Braves
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
SAN DIEGO -- When Edgar Renteria made his first Major League start for the Marlins on May 18, 1996, at Wrigley Field, the third baseman positioned to his right was Terry Pendleton, a man who had an immediate influence on the then-20-year-old shortstop.
Almost exactly 10 years later, when the Braves begin their three-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday, one of the most important weapons in their lineup will be Renteria, a man who is still profiting from the lessons Pendleton continues to provide.
"He was a kid that wanted to work and wanted to be better," said Pendleton, who now serves as the Braves' hitting coach. "He's still like that. He listened well."
During the first two years of his career, Renteria was surrounded in the Marlins clubhouse with the likes of Pendleton, Devon White and Bobby Bonilla, talented players who respected and understood the game. When he moved to St. Louis in 1999, he savored the influence Willie McGee provided.
Wanting to learn what it took to succeed at the Major League level, he spent countless hours asking them questions and learning what it took to be successful on and off the field.
"I wanted to learn how to play the game right like they did," Renteria said.
As he blossomed into a superstar, he became a standup individual like those aforementioned former teammates. When it came time for Braves general manager John Schuerholz to find a replacement for Rafael Furcal this past December, he certainly loved the fact that Renteria had been a four-time All-Star, with three Silver Slugger Awards and two Gold Gloves.
But just as important was the fact that Renteria had become a true student of the game, a leader and somebody who would be a positive influence in the clubhouse.
"Everybody who was ever around him said the same thing -- that he was the best teammate, best pro, you'll ever have on your team," Schuerholz said. "He came well advertised."
Given that Renteria had hit just .276 with 70 RBIs -- disappointing numbers only for someone of his caliber -- last season with the Red Sox, he also came with a warning label. But it was one the Braves chose to ignore, while focusing more on their belief that he would thrive in the less stressful, competitive environment that they could provide.
"We had every expectation that over here, back in the National League, in this environment, playing for [Braves manager] Bobby Cox, that he would thrive," said Schuerholz, who received Renteria and a guarantee of at least...
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