Cardinals sign David Eckstein

[T Park]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/spo...David+Eckstein

Solid signing, his defense on that side will help replace Renteria, him being a leadoff hitter also kills two birds with one stone. Now if the Cardinals can go get a Hairston for 2B the Offseason is complete


Cards sign SS David Eckstein
By Derrick Goold
Of the Post-Dispatch
12/23/2004

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With calls beaming from Cozumel to Hawaii to St. Louis and finally to Florida, the Cardinals landed everyday shortstop and potential leadoff hitter David Eckstein with a pre-holiday blitz Thursday and a three-year, $10.25-million contract.

Working from his vacation in Hawaii, Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty, reached Eckstein's agent, whose Christmas cruise was docked for the day in Cozumel, Mexico. Negotiations were fleet, and Eckstein was in Florida, en route to visiting his hospitalized father, when Cardinals execs called from separate times zones to welcome him aboard.

"They were very aggressive," Eckstein said. "They were pretty much the first team to call, and (Thursday) it really took off. ... It was clear that this was a good fit.

"The best fit."

Eckstein (pronounced eck-STYNE), who turns 30 next month, has a .278 career batting average, a .347 career on-base average and has scored more than 80 runs in three of his four major league seasons. His grit, size - or lack thereof (5 feet 7) - and personality made him a fan favorite in Anaheim, hinting the scrappy spark plug has the ingredients of St. Louis s om.

Eckstein fills the Cardinals' need for a shortstop - though no cannon from the hole, he committed six errors and led all shortstops with a .988 fielding percentage - and has been the Angels' leadoff hitter. He went nine for 29 from the leadoff spot as the Angels won the 2002 World Series.

"We felt this was the guy, the perfect fit for our club for a lot of reasons," Jocketty said. "For his personality, for the way he goes about playing the game. He's a gamer through and through. He's the kind of player St. Louis will embrace, and I think he will become a cult hero with our fans. He's a hustler."

Eckstein became a free agent late Monday when Anaheim did not tender him a contract. The Angels signed shortstop Orlando Cabrera - who was priced out of the Cardinals' market - leaving the Cardinals the team in shortstop merry-go-round without one. The Cardinals moved swiftly to sign Eckstein.

Or, as swiftly as technology would allow.

Eckstein's agent, Ryan Gleichowski, had to be on land for his cell phone to work. Docked Thursday, he, and associate Marc Pollack, finalized the contract. Eckstein's three-year deal starts with a $250,000 signing bonus and a first-year salary of $2.25 million. In the second and third year of the deal, Eckstein's salary jumps from $3.25 million to $4.5 million, respectively.

Left on the Cardinals' shopping list is a second baseman. Similar to Eckstein, Alex Cora was nontendered by the Dodgers, and the Cardinals have expressed interest. Jocketty said it's most likely a free agent - not a trade - will fill the gap at second base.

Eckstein was the second-hardest player in the American League to strikeout last season, whiffing once every 13 at-bats. He hit .300 from the leadoff spot last season, and he had a .287 on-base average when behind in the count.

"When people see me, I don't really look like your typical pro athlete," said Eckstein, who walked on at the University of Florida and became an all-American. "But it means I always have to prove myself. No matter what the situation, you have to prove yourself. I don't want to lose that edge."

While talking about signing with the Cardinals, Eckstein pulled up at a hospital in Florida to visit his father, Whitey. Eckstein's family has a history of kidney trouble - three siblings have had transplants. (Eckstein has not had problems.) Whitey Eckstein, who taught his son baseball, has been undergoing kidney dialysis for two years and is in the hospital for a related issue.

Eckstein said his father should be fine but likely won't be home for Christmas, as hoped.

The last time Eckstein was in St. Louis was in 2002, when he played against the Cardinals the day of Jack Buck's memorial and batted against Darryl Kile in his final start before he died. When he agreed to a contract Thursday, those memories seized him, particularly the crowds of empathizing fans.

"Just seeing that, seeing all those fans so close to the team, so supportive, and being right there to feel it all - it stays with you," Eckstein said. "It's an unbelievable feeling. St. Louis has such a rich history ... and here's an opportunity to go there and play for them.

"It's just a great, great fit."

Three-way exchange

The Cardinals, Red Sox and Angels exchanged shortstops this offseason. Here's how the three compare (numbers from 2004 season):

Cardinals
David Eckstein (was with Angels)
Average: .276
Runs: 92
Home runs: 2
RBIs: 35
Stolen bases: 16
New contract: 3 years, $10.25 million

Red Sox
Edgar Renteria (was with Cards)
Average: .287
Runs: 84
Home runs: 10
RBIs: 72
Stolen bases: 17
New contract: 4 years, $40 million

Angels
Orlando Cabrera (was with Red Sox)
Average: .264
Runs: 74
Home runs: 10
RBIs: 62
Stolen bases: 16
New contract: 4 years, $32 million

[King]

I like the Eckstein signing a lot. He's a fireplug, and definitely more of a bargain than Cabrera. Only thing I question is his arm strength. He's great defensively, but he has to crow hop to get to first. Now, I'd guess they look at who they can get at either SS or 2B. If they go with a Julio Lugo, then move Eckstein to 2nd. If they can get Hairston Jr, or trade for Polanco, then leave Eckstein at SS. Either way, good signing.