Edgar Enrique Rentería [ren-ter-EE-ah] (born August 7, 1975 in Barranquilla, Colombia) is a shortstop in Major League Baseball who plays for the Boston Red Sox (as of 2005). He bats and throws right handed.

Profile

At the plate, Rentería has a short stroke and drives the ball with extra-base power to all fields. On the bases, he reads pitchers' moves well, and he usually gets very good jumps, which account for his good stolen base totals. He also is the kind of basestealer who does his thing when it means the most. He is a hard-nosed player, adept at breaking up double plays. Rentería has superior range in the field. He has fluid range and soft hands, and, equipped with a strong arm and good reactions, he turns the double play with ease.

Career

Signed by the Florida Marlins as a non-amateur free agent in 1992, Rentería made his debut in the 1996 season. He finished second behind Dodgers outfielder Todd Hollandsworth in National League Rookie of the Year balloting, after hit .309 with 68 runs and 16 stolen bases in 106 games.

Rentería is well remembered for his 11th inning two-out RBI single in Game Seven of the 1997 World Series to give Florida a 3-2 triumph over the Cleveland Indians. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 1998 season.

An amazing transformation has taken place in Rentería's game over the past three seasons. He's always been one of the best defensive players in either league, but now he has developed into a consistent hitter and one of the best all-around shortstops in the major leagues. In 2003, he became the first National League shortstop in 18 years to compile 100 RBI. He fell just six hits short of being the first NL shortstop in more than 90 years to have 200 hits and 100 RBI in the same season. His .330 batting average ranked fourth in the league and he also stole 34 bases.

In a nine-season career, Rentería is a .289 hitter with 83 home runs and 565 RBI in 1296 games.

Highlights

• 4-time All-Star (1998, 2000, 2003-04)
• Twice Gold Glove Award (2002-03)

Facts

• A free agent at the end of the 2004 season, Rentería was signed by the Boston Red Sox. His team switch is historic. According to Elias Sports Bureau, he is the fourth player in the last 40 years to play in the World Series and join the team he played against the following season. The others are pitcher Don Gullett , who went from the 1976 Cincinnati Reds to the Yankees in 1977; infielder/outfielder Gary Thomasson , who went from the 1978 Yankees to the Dodgers in 1979; and pitcher Tommy John, who went from the '78 Dodgers to the Yankees the following year.

• Rentería also is the only major league player to win a World Series with a walk-off hit (1997 with Florida) and make the last out in a World Series (2004 with St. Louis).

See also

• NL Gold Glove winners at shortstop
• Players from Colombia in MLB

External links

• Edgar Rentería at:
  • Baseball Library (biography)
  • Baseball Reference (statistics and analysis)
  • ESPN (profile and daily updates)