New Homes for Some Old Faces
By Brian Phair
It has been a busy few days for two members of the 2004 World Championship team. First, Orlando Cabrera signs a 1-year, $3 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds and then Mr. Cowboy-up himself, Kevin Millar signs a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs. Both guys were huge assets to the Sox organization and played key roles in bringing home the first championship in 86 years, but how Cabrera was added to the Sox roster was a bit of a difficult situation for many fans to swallow.
Orlando Cabrera came to the Red Sox in one of the most shocking and unlikely trades of the past decade for the Red Sox franchise and a moment I will never forget. I remember hearing the news that Nomar Garciappara had been traded and went into complete disbelief. Nomar was, and still is, one of the most beloved Sox players of all time. Between his quirky batting stance, fixing his batting gloves in a rythymic pattern, and his ability to throw a bullet to first base on the run, Nomar endeared himself to the Fenway faithful from his first day in the majors.
The day after the trade deadline in 2004, my fiance and I had a pre-planned trip to tour Fenway Park. When walking around the historic venue, there was an eerie, unsettled feeling, as if something precious had just been taken away, and to most, it had. When we got to the portion of the tour on top of the green monster, we both turned around and noticed a giant billboard across landsdowne street with a huge picture of Nomar. Both of our stomachs sank.
I will never forget that feeling in 2004, because it was a similar feeling I got when watching game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. A feeling of emptiness and disarray.
The trade obviously was a smart one for the 2004 season, because Cabrera was excellent and helped break the 86 year old curse. Since 2004 however, the shortstop position on the Sox has been a revolving door. No one has been able to replace the infamous Nomahhh and the next contestant is Marco Scutaro. Will he be able to provide some consistency on the left side of the infield or is there a new curse in Boston?
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