15 December 2004
Edgar Renteria's Departure
a Fact of Baseball Life
By Rex "The Wonder Dog" Duncan
Like all of you, I rode the peaks and valleys of the cut-throat competition for Edgar Renteria’s services this week. Every plus, minus, increase, decrease, demand, and extension grabbed my attention like a pit bull on the jugular. He’s gone. He’s staying. He’s being shipped to Iraq. Well, now that the deed is done and Edgar is headed for Beantown, at least the suspense is over. The reality and dynamics of his departure are not, and we might as well get used to it. Full Story
The fact of the matter is that the St. Louis Cardinals are a middle-market franchise, clustered with a majority of the other major league teams in terms of the amount of money they can dedicate to player payroll. When the east coast bullies covet one of our players and are ready to put their money on the table, the Cardinals are going to lose. It doesn’t help to beat up Walt Jocketty. Cursing the Cardinal ownership team won’t change the situation one iota. The best we can do is be thankful that we have one of the most creative GM’s in the game and an ownership group that does all it can be expected to do to field winning teams.
Face it, folks, the only thing that doesn’t change in this world is change. If that weren’t the case, Harry and Jack would still prowl the pressbox. Kenny would still be manning the hot corner. Ozzie would own the center of the infield. Life without change is death, and the Cardinals are not dead. They still present a fearsome line-up that is the envy of every manager in baseball. With no less than four potential Hall-of-Famers in their batting order including Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, and Walker, the Cardinals will enter the 2005 season as a dominant offensive team. There are question marks, but the Redbirds will be working overtime to address them.
In every cloud there is a silver lining. Renteria’s departure will free up salary that might be used to bring in a #1 starting pitcher. I have every confidence in Walt Jocketty’s ability to bring in top performers. Don’t underestimate him. It is my perspective that he already has a back-up deal in the works that will solidify the infield at shortstop. In the Chinese language, the character that represents our word "crisis" has two meanings. The first is "danger". That applies only if the Cardinals pocket their savings from Edgar’s departure. They aren’t about to do that. The second meaning is "opportunity" and therein lies the lesson. As Edgar leaves, someone else is going to be appear at Stadium Plaza that will be the toast of the town when the red convertibles circle Busch in April. Jocketty and Co. will translate this crisis into opportunity. He will be up for another GM of the Year in 2005.
Relax. Take a deep breath. Sing "Kumbaya", but don’t pop a gasket over the loss of Edgar Renteria. When the Red Sox return to Busch next year, give him a warm Cardinal reception to honor him for his high level of play on our collective behalf. I for one wish him well in his new digs and hope he enjoys a lovely and historic city. But more than that, I can’t wait to see who shows up to fill Edgar’s shoes. We are feeling the lows of the off-season today. The fun part is still to come. We get to see what Walt Jocketty brings us for Christmas. The present is under the tree, brilliantly wrapped and glittering. I can only wonder who is in it. I can’t wait!
Rex Duncan
