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St. Louis Cardinals: Former Players On The 2017 Hall Of Fame Ballot

By Trevor Hooth

Oct 8, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Lee Smith throws out a ceremonial first pitch before game two of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series between the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Lee Smith throws out a ceremonial first pitch before game two of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series between the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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St. Louis Cardinals
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Edgar Renteria, Shortstop

Former shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, Renteria is on his first attempt at being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Renteria spent six seasons in St. Louis, the most of any of the seven teams he played for during his 16-year career.  By no means is he a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection, so this year will just be about survival.  He needs five percent to stay alive for future consideration.

Throughout his career, Renteria collected two World Series rings in three tries.  In 2010 at 33, he even took home World Series MVP honors as the San Francisco Giants beat the Texas Rangers.  He hit .412 with six RBIs in that five-game series.

In his first season with the Marlins, at the age of 19, Renteria finished second in the Rookie-of-the-Year voting for the National League.  He finished his career with five All-Star selections, three Silver Slugger awards, and two Gold Gloves.

He collected 2,327 hits on the way to a .286 career batting average.  To add on to the accomplishments of his career, Renteria is the player who got the walk-off hit in the 11th inning of Game Seven of the 1997 World Series.

As a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, Renteria collected all three of his Silver Sluggers while hitting .290 in six seasons.  He reached his career high in hits in 2003, with 194.  That led to a season batting average .330.

Predictions from the Bill James way of baseball are back and forth on Renteria as a Hall of Famer.  He has a WAR of  32.1, which is low.  His 39 HOFs is also just short of the mark.  That being said, he boasts a HOFm of 109, which is above the average for a potential Cooperstown member.

Should things go Renteria’s way, and he gets a plaque in the Hall of Fame, I don’t see this happening for a few years.  His career justifies a selection, but it would be a late selection.  He is not a first-ballot guy.  When it is all said and done though, it would surprise me if Renteria gets inducted to Cooperstown.

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