Renteria eager for fresh start with Braves

Edgar Renteria slipped on his No. 11 Atlanta Braves jersey for the first time Monday and predicted he would find a better fit than his uncomfortable one-season stay in Boston.
Renteria was introduced to Atlanta media almost exactly one year after he agreed to a $40 million, four-year contract with the Red Sox. Boston traded the shortstop to the Braves on Thursday for third baseman Andy Marte.
From the beginning, when he started the season 0-for-10 and hit .228 in April, Renteria struggled to fit in with the Red Sox. He was booed by Boston fans as he piled up a major league-high 30 errors.His finished with a .276 batting average, eight homers and 70 RBIs - passable for most shortstops but well below his best years with Florida and St. Louis. In 2003, he hit .330 with 13 homers, 100 RBIs and 34 stolen bases for the Cardinals.
Renteria acknowledged he wasn’t prepared for the negative reception from Boston fans.
“This was my first time,” he said of the boos from the home-team supporters. “I didn’t know how to handle it. ... Nobody likes to get booed. You see me play, I always start slow. Maybe the fans didn’t know anything about me.”
Renteria described himself as “a quiet guy.” He said of Boston: “It’s a little tough there.”
In the end, the Red Sox were so eager to trade Renteria and his contract that they will pay $8 million of the $26 million he is owed for the next three seasons. In addition, the Red Sox must pay the $3 million buyout if his $11 million option for 2009 is declined by Atlanta.
“It seems like they were really pushing to trade him; there’s no way to soft-sell that,” said Renteria’s agent, Jeff Lane.
Renteria was hesitant to respond to questions about Boston fans, the infield at Fenway Park or his overall experience with the Red Sox.
“I’m not making excuses,” he said. “I always say I make errors. The field doesn’t make errors.”