In 2003, the shortstop position was a strength of record-setting proportions for the Cardinals.
Edgar Renteria achieved in 2003 perhaps the best overall season produced by a Cardinals shortstop. Renteria won both a Gold Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award that season. He is the only Cardinals shortstop to twice earn both awards in a season. (Renteria achieved the dual feats in 2002 as well.)
The cumulative production numbers put up by Renteria in 2003 were unprecedented for a Cardinals shortstop: .330 batting average, 194 hits, 47 doubles, 13 home runs, 100 RBI and 34 stolen bases. The hits, doubles and RBI were single-season career highs for Renteria, who spent 16 years in the major leagues.
A look behind those numbers:
_ Renteria is the only Cardinals shortstop since 1900 to achieve 100 RBI in a season. “It’s not easy for a guy who is not a power hitter to get 100 RBI _ and I’m not a power hitter,” Renteria said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in September 2003.
_ He became the first National League shortstop to reach 100 RBI since Hubie Brooks of the 1985 Expos.
_ His 47 doubles are the most in a season by a Cardinals shortstop.
_ Renteria’s 194 hits are the most by a Cardinals shortstop since Garry Templeton had 211 in 1979.
_ Renteria came within six hits of joining Honus Wagner as the only National League shortstops to achieve 200 hits and 100 RBI in a season. Wagner had 201 hits and 109 RBI for the 1908 Pirates.
“To hit .330 with 100 RBI, a bunch of stolen bases and great defense _ what a year he’s had,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said to the Post-Dispatch in the final weekend of the 2003 season.
On Sept. 27, 2003, in the Cardinals’ next-to-last game of the season, Renteria got his 100th RBI when his fielder’s choice grounder to short scored Albert Pujols from third with the deciding run in St. Louis’ 3-2 victory over the Diamondbacks at Phoenix. Boxscore
“I hit sixth or seventh behind great hitters,” Renteria said. “My teammates gave me the chance. I took the chance they gave me.”
Renteria batted sixth in 74 games in 2003 and had 58 RBI from that spot in the order. He batted seventh in 38 games and had 19 RBI from that position.
Pujols, who primarily batted third, scored a career-high 137 runs that season. Scott Rolen, who mostly batted fifth, scored 98.
Renteria twice drove in five runs in a game in 2003.
On April 13, in the Cardinals’ 11-8 victory over the Astros at Houston, Renteria, batting sixth, hit a pair of home runs against Roy Oswalt and had five RBI. Boxscore Renteria had opened the season batting second in the order.
“I like hitting with runners on base and I like seeing pitches,” Renteria told the Post-Dispatch after the game. “Hitting second, I don’t see as many pitches as I do down in the lineup.”
On Sept. 18, again batting sixth, Renteria was 4-for-4 with two doubles and five RBI in the Cardinals’ 13-0 victory over the Brewers at St. Louis. Boxscore
Renteria hit .492 (30-for-61) with 17 RBI against the Brewers in 2003.
In his report card on the Cardinals’ 2003 season, Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch wrote, “Edgar Renteria compiled one of the best offensive seasons of the last 20 years by a National League shortstop while committing fewer errors than during last year’s Gold Glove season.”
Previously: Edgar Renteria is 10th World Series MVP who played for Cardinals
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