August 19, 2002 Featuring the Book On Edgar Renteria

Team News: 69-53 (1st place NL Central, 5 game lead)

The Cards are playing extremely solid ball right now, but a little streakiness is a bit of a concern. It seems that when they're hot, everything clicks for the whole team, but when they're not, nobody's contributing. The team has won nine out of their last ten, and the town is abuzz because of how well they're playing. However, this comes right on the heels of a nine game losing streak earlier in the month, a feat that they nearly sufferred in late April when they lost nine of eleven. If manager Tony Larussa doesn't start to get the boys to play more consistently, this team will be lucky to win a round in the playoffs.

Rotation

Matt Morris has been phenomenal lately, and has won his last three starts in dominant fashion. Through his last 23 innings, Morris has allowed just five runs (1.96 ERA) and 23 baserunners (1.00 WHIP) with 15 strikeouts. He continues to work deep into games, but it seems that he's adjusted a bit to the high pitch counts he was throwing earlier this year by trying to get a quick out rather than feeling like he has to strike batters out. While this may not be the best thing for a fantasy owner to hear, it's the best thing for Morris and for the team.

Next start: 8/23 vs. PHI

Pitch Count Watch: Larussa finally let Morris pass the century mark in Sunday's game with the Pirates, but he still only threw 105 pitches. Earlier in the year, 105 pitches meant that he exited after the sixth inning... Right now, that means that he went eight. As long as Larussa doesn't let him loose for 110+, there should be nothing to worry about here.

Whoddathunkit?!?!?!?!?! Andy Benes is mowing down hitters left and right, and is looking like an ace. The soon to be 35-year-old, thought to be retiring earlier in the season, gave himself an early birthday present on Monday as he made the Pirates look silly in his seven innings of work. Since his return on July 16, Benes has thrown 43.1 innings and allowed just ten runs (2.08 ERA). He has yet to allow more than two runs in any of those eight starts, and is suddenly emerging as a leading candidate for "Comeback Player of the Year."

Next start: 8/24 vs. PHI

It's still hard to recommend Benes as a fantasy starter, but anyone who has taken the gamble so far has been paid back tenfold. Believe it or not, he's probably gone in a lot of leagues now. If he's not.... go get him. There's absolutely no chance that Garrett Stephenson will steal his spot in the rotation when he returns, and Woody Williams will replace the "bullpen start."

Jason Simontacchi rewarded the Cardinals for sticking with him (though there aren't any other options right now) by throwing his best start in a month at Philadelphia on Saturday. Perhaps this is a sign that he's starting to adjust to hitters, who have already adjusted to his unconventional approach on the mound. How's he doing it? Through Simontacchi's first fifteen starts, he had 35 (you ARE reading that right) strikeouts. He hadn't fanned more than four in any one game prior to August 7. Since then, Simontacchi has gone on a tear, and has struck out 18 in his last three starts (6,5,7 respectively). It seems that he's suddenly added about five MPH to his fastball.

Next start: 8/22 vs. PIT

Keep an eye on Simontacchi. His stuff is not comparable to that of a power pitcher, but he's suddenly trying to assume that role. Perhaps Andy Benes' experience and sudden string of luck is rubbing off on Simontacchi.

Chuck Finley has looked solid in his last two outings, but did lose the only game that the Cardinals have lost in the last ten games. It seems that the 39-year-old lefty is settling in a bit after the shellacking he took by the Expos on August 6.

Next start: 8/21 vs. PIT

Finley remains too inconsistent to really be recommended to fantasy owners. He had his day, and it looks like his usefulness is in the past.

Luther Hackman has given the Cardinals two quality "bullpen" starts, and should make one more on Tuesday against the Pirates. His fantasy value is non-existent, however, as he has a lot of trouble going more than the five innings required to get a victory. The 89 pitches that he threw in Pittsburgh last week were a career high, and he shouldn't be counted on to match that figure on Tuesday.

Next start: 8/20 vs. PIT

Woody Williams return date was slated for the week surrounding August 21, but has been pushed back a bit. Count on Hackman to get this start, and possibly another if you're absolutely desparate in a head to head league, but make sure that every potential starter in the league is gone before you take a chance on him.

Woody Williams threw 57 pitches in a simulated start on Monday, his 35th birthday. His return date has been pushed back to the end of August, and he'll likely return to face the Cubbies on the 29th.

Bullpen

Jason Isringhausen is scorching right now, and has allowed just three baserunners in the past month. Unfortunately, he's only produced five saves in this span because the team hasn't given him enough opportunities. When they win, they're winning big.

Steve Kline continues to be shaky, though he should see the majority of the hold opportunities the rest of the way. Kline recently picked up his first victory of the season after blowing a save in Pittsburgh, and has allowed six runs in his last ten appearances, a span of ten innings. Something seems to be bugging him with his control, and it's getting him into a lot of trouble.

Rookie Mike Crudale has taken the window of opportunity that was given to him and jumped right through it, converting five of six hold opportunities, and is posting an amazing 1.46 ERA through his 37 innings so far this season. The former AAA closer seems to have earned the confidence of Larussa and should garner plenty of chances the remainder of the season.

Catchers

Eli Marrero has been ice cold in August, recording just five hits on the month so far.

Mike Matheny saw his average climb to .240 for the first time in over a year on Wednesday, which is a pretty good indicator of his value to a fantasy team....

Mike Difelice can't earn enough at bats to help out.

Infield

The past two months have been "The Edgar Renteria Show." Renteria is tearing the cover off the ball at an amazing .358 since the break, and has already surpassed his pre-break home run production with his grand slam on Sunday in Pittsburgh. Look for him to cool off a bit, but bank on Renteria being the best Shortstop in the National League the rest of the way.

Scott Rolen seemed to struggle through his first ten games as a Cardinal, but has responded wonderfully with a recent seven game hitting streak that has seen him bat .480 with 2 homers and 12 RBI. However, he's taken the last two games off due to a sore left shoulder, and is listed as day to day.

The best thing about Rolen's return to Philadelphia over the weekend??? Nobody threw batteries at him!

1b Tino Martinez has finally done it! A recent hot streak has seen Tino hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games, raising his season average to .266. The .250 mark had been a killer all year, but he's finally busting through and even driving in the occasional run. Expect Martinez to produce slightly less than he did in his career with the Yankees the rest of the way, as he's both older and less prominent in the offense. However, don't expect him to drop back to the standards he'd set with his awful start.

2b Fernando Vina continues to run hot and cold, but really has no place on any fantasy roster at this point. The past two months have seen his average (typically his only real strength) dip twenty points to .268. He doesn't steal enough to warrant a spot, and his power is awful. His defense is as spectacular as ever, though, and Vina may be on track for another Gold Glove this season. Now, if only that could translate into points in your league somehow.........

Outfield

It looks like Albert Pujols is so tired of hearing how he's having an off season that he's decided to go absolutely nuts. In Pujols recent hitting streak, he's crushed five homers, driven in seventeen runs, and has finally scraped his average over the .300 mark on the season, leaving local fans of the All-Star snubee shouting, "Let's see Andruw Jones do that!"

Jim Edmonds continues to pound the ball. His average has fallen to .315, which is about where it should stay the rest of the way, and he just went eleven days without homering before crushing a Joe Beimel pitch on Monday. A healthy Edmonds the rest of the way should easily secure the playoffs.

J.D. Drew has actually decided to play lately! The slugger whose name is built on potential and painkillers for his knees actually started five of the last six games, and has even thrown a few hits in there, reaching safely in four of those games. However, expect him to rest up at least three times in the next week as something's bound to start nagging him.

Sounds Around Town/Rumorama

The fans around here don't seem to know how to act. On the one hand, everyone's excited that the Cards are doing well. However, there's that little voice in the back of everyone's head that just keeps screaming "August 30." The predominant feeling around town is that nobody wants to truly start going nuts about this team with the threat of a strike looming.

The Book On:

Edgar Renteria

Edgar Renteria was called up in early May of 1996 at the age of just 20 to take over as the full-time Shortstop for the Marlins, where his .309 average, tremendous speed and flashy defense helped him to a second place finish in the Rookie of the Year ballotting. His second year kept on building like a tremendous crescendo, as his statistics jumped in every category but home runs and average and fulfilled the leadoff role for the suddenly high-priced Marlins. In the postseason, Renteria would earn a name for himself!

After batting .294 with runners in scoring position during the regular season and driving in teammate Charles Johnson with two out in the ninth inning to win a game earlier in the postseason, Edgar got that moment that everyone dreams about as a kid. With two out in the eleventh inning of Game 7 of the World Series, Edgar Renteria delivered a single that would plate Craig Counsell and clinch the title for Florida, instantly putting him in the annals of baseball history.

After earning an All-Star berth as the only bright spot on the Marlins in 1998, Renteria was dealt to the Cardinals, where he has solidified his role as one of the top Shortstops in the National League. Renteria's power numbers instantly took a jump, though he didn't run as often under Tony Larussa's guidance and his stint as the leadoff man was short-lived. Renteria produced two very solid seasons before succumbing to injury and looking lost for the first half of 2001.

How did he respond? Renteria crushed the ball in August and September last year, posting a .313 average over the last two months and producing almost twice what he did in the first half. This was certainly something to build on going into 2002, as he hit the ball fairly well in the first half and has absolutely blistered the ball so far in the second half.

Renteria should be a mainstay at Shortstop for the Cardinals for years, and should continue to develop. Many forget that Renteria is only 27 and is just hitting his prime. Aside from Derek Jeter, there may be no better Shortstop to have in the clutch!

The Walking Wounded

Woody Williams - Williams has been on the DL since July 13 with a strained ribcage. He is expected to be back in the rotation in the next week or so and is throwing simulated starts in the bullpen.

Williams should be a great boost to any fantasy team, as he's gone 13-4 with a 2.30 ERA in the past season (23 starts) since becoming a Cardinal.

Garrett Stephenson - Stephenson has been recovering from hamstring surgery for the past two months, but is expected back at the end of the month.

Look elsewhere.

J.D. Drew - J.D. Drew set his personal record for games played in a week with five. Tendonitis in his knee will keep him in and out of the lineup for the rest of the year.

Look elsewhere... He's got so much potential, but he'll never live up to it.

Quick View:

Add/Acquire

Andy Benes - Yes. That is me eating my words. Benes is looking like a top-notch fantasy stud lately, and was at one point in his career. Maybe he finally found the right arthritis cream... Who knows?!

Woody Williams - There may have been one or two owners worried enough by his injury to drop him. If you're that lucky, grab him before someone else does.

Mike Crudale - Crudale has been given a vote of confidence to get some tough outs by Tony Larussa and hasn't disappointed. If Jason Isringhausen gets hurt, he may share time with Kline in the closer's role. Regardless, he's a quality option in holds leagues.

Drop/Deal

Eli Marrero - Unfortunately, Eli just seems to have run out of gas. He had a great run.

Garrett Stephenson - If you're excited about him possibly coming back in the next two weeks, you may want to re-think that strategy.

Fernando Vina - If he's not hitting for average and stealing the occasional base, he's not worth any fantasy owner's time.