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Cardinals & Viņa Agree To Contract Extension
May 3, 2000
ST. LOUIS, May 3, 2000 - St. Louis Cardinals Vice President/General Manager Walt Jocketty announced today that the Cardinals and second baseman Fernando Viņa have agreed on a three-year contract extension through 2003 that includes a club option for a fourth year, 2004. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Fernando has proven to be everything that we thought we were getting," stated Jocketty. "He's a heady ballplayer who likes to compete and will do whatever it takes to win."
Viņa, 31, was acquired by the Cardinals last December in a four-player trade with the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for righthanded pitcher Juan Acevedo and two minor league players to be named.
Viņa has been the catalyst for the Cardinals' league-leading offense, batting .346 with a team-high 37 hits and a .426 on-base percentage. In addition, he has yet to have made an error in the field, and has been instrumental in the Cardinals overall defensive improvement, which has led to a league-best .987 fielding percentage.
"Fernando has quickly become a favorite among Cardinals' fans, and I know that he has a great respect and admiration for the fans of St. Louis as well," said Jocketty. "Fernando Viņa exemplifies what Cardinals' baseball is all about and we are pleased that he will be a member of this organization on a long-term basis."
As part of his new deal, Viņa has indicated that he plans to make an annual contribution to the Cardinals charitable fund - Cardinals Care.
Earlier this year, the Cardinals inked shortstop Edgar Renteria, 24, and third baseman Fernando Tatis, 25, to contract extensions that also run through the year 2003.
The Official Web Site of the St. Louis Cardinals
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