FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – Edgar Renteria wasn’t part of the Boston Red Sox World Series championship team, but he did play a very visible role in helping them win it.

The shortstop was with St. Louis last season when he grounded to pitcher Keith Foulke for the final out of Boston’s four-game sweep.

He said he plans to be there when his new teammates get their rings.

“I’m going to go through the line for mine, too, and then I’ll say, Where’s my ring?”‘ said Renteria, apparently joking, on his first day in his new team’s camp Saturday.

It will be a pleasant day for him even if he’s a spectator at the ceremony.

“I’m going to feel happy because that’s my team right now,” Renteria said.

Renteria also was the last batter in the 1997 World Series and that had a happier ending for him. His RBI single in Game 7 against Cleveland gave the Florida Marlins their first championship.

“I know both sides, the happy side and the disappointment side,” Renteria said. “Now I hope I can hit a base hit to win the World Series again.”

Nomar Garciaparra and Pokey Reese played shortstop for the Red Sox last season before they sent Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs and obtained shortstop Orlando Cabrera from Montreal at the July 31 trade deadline.

Cabrera played well but signed with Anaheim in the offseason after Boston picked up Renteria. They are two of three Colombians currently playing in the majors.

Renteria said he was surprised that Boston let Cabrera go.

“I think he’s one of the best shortstops in the game right now,” Renteria said.

But Renteria’s probably better. He has a .289 batting average with an average of 26 stolen bases in nine seasons. His best season was 2003 when he hit .330 with 13 homers and 100 RBIs then tailed off to .287 with 10 homers and 72 RBIs last season.

Boston reliever Matt Mantei, who played with Renteria in Florida, raves about him as being in the class of Garciaparra, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

“He’s one of the best clutch hitters in the game. He’s one of the best shortstops, too,” Mantei said. “I think he’s one of the most underrated players in baseball.”

That could be because Renteria is quiet, takes the game seriously and hasn’t played in a big market – until now.

“He’s really a good guy, very soft-spoken, and he’s going to be a tremendous asset to the club,” reliever Mike Timlin said.

Renteria said he doesn’t care where he hits in the lineup, doesn’t imitate another player’s style and considers it a good season if his team is successful even if he hits. 250 instead of .350.

First, he has to get used to being with the Red Sox instead of the Cardinals.

On Friday, he got lost driving to the team’s spring training complex and arrived 20 minutes later than he expected. Last Oct. 27, when Renteria stood in the batter’s box for that final at bat, joining Boston wasn’t on his mind.

“I was only thinking about beating the Red Sox,” he said.

At least he won’t have to face Foulke again this season.

“We’re lucky. We’re playing on the same team,” Renteria said. “He’s not going to throw me out again.”

AP-ES-02-19-05 1821EST