Angels Organization Report

RBI Machine

By Bill Shaikin
June 2, 2006

ANAHEIM--Jordan Renz had a pretty good week. Then he repeated it in a day.

The low Class A Midwest League honored him as its player of the week from May 8-14, when he hit three home runs and drove in nine runs at Cedar Rapids. On May 15, Renz hit three home runs and drove in 10, tying the league record for most RBIs in a game.

"It didn't really hit me until after the game was over," Renz said. "I didn't realize how many I had."

That's 10, on a grand slam, a pair of a two-run homers and a two-run double.

"Winning a championship last year in (Rookie-level) Provo was pretty cool," he said, "but this is probably the biggest thing I've done in my baseball career, so far."

The Angels expected big things, and big flies, from Renz when they selected him in the fourth round out of Tulsa Union High in Broken Arrow, Okla., in 2002. In an organization weak in power prospects and weaker still in outfield prospects, he was a power-hitting outfielder.

The progress has been slow. At 22, he is in his fifth year of pro ball at Cedar Rapids. He played there last year, too, hitting .198-9-55 with 126 strikeouts in 353 at-bats.

"I'm not a basestealer. I'm not a guy that's going to lay a bunt down," he said. "I have to hit the ball, but I can't go deep all the time. I was trying to show people I could do that, and I just fell into a hole."

 So he stopped trying to pull everything, started trying to work into hitters' counts and drive the ball to all fields. And, lo and behold, he already has a career high in home runs, hitting .284-10-38 through 148 at-bats, with 26 of 42 hits for extra bases.

"We're hoping he's turned a corner," farm director Tony Reagins said. "I'm not going to say he has based on two months, but you see the adjustments. You see a different way about him. It's been baby steps, but he's making strides. Sometimes it takes a while."

ANGEL FOOD

• High Class A Rancho Cucamonga righthander Jose Arredondo, 22, one of the Angels' top prospects, was removed after two innings of a start because manager Bobby Mitchell said Arredondo had "lost interest." Reagins said the pitcher was not giving "full effort," but would make his next start. Arredondo is 2-2, 2.52, with 59 strikeouts in 39 innings.

• Triple-A Salt Lake righthander Jered Weaver tied Kevin Gregg's franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings at 27 1/3. Weaver went 4-1, 2.05 with eight walks and 66 strikeouts in 57 innings to earn his first big league promotion.