Mon Feb 7 2005 - After losing Edgar Renteria to the Red Sox, the Redbirds signed the next best option, Eckstein. Eckstein is solid defensively but far from an upper-tier option at his position offensively. But the spark plug (Eckstein's only 5-7) will hit leadoff, and with the meat behind him, he has a good chance of scoring 100 runs, hitting between .280 and .300 and stealing 20 bases.
It's so easy to like David Eckstein, because he plays the game the way everybody swears they would if they could play in the majors. He doesn't do dumb things and he makes all the routine plays. His .988 fielding percentage led major league shortstops, though his limited range and lack of offensive oomph mean he'll never be considered for a Gold Glove. At the plate, he was what he always has been: an annoying hitter to face. He struck out once every 13 plate appearances, the second-best ratio in the league.
