Everyone Red Sox fan has a memory or story about the infamous Nomar Garciaparra. Over the past week or so since Nomar re-signed with the Red Sox and then promptly retired, fans have been reliving his tenure with the team he loved. Some of my friends and colleagues were gracious enough to share their thoughts and stories of the beloved Red Sox shortstop. Enjoy!
It was 2001 and I had managed to convince my dad to get Red Sox/Yanks tickets on Ebay for a game at Yankee Stadium. This was back when ticket prices were “somewhat” reasonable for a game at the dirty stadium, nevertheless a game vs. the Sox. We arrived at the game 2 hours early, because of course I wanted to get autographs. I didn’t just want an autograph from some Joe Shmo, I wanted one from the face of the franchise, the beloved shortstop. After waiting for a while, RP Alan Embree walked over. I accidentally called him Wakefield and he left cause he was insulted. After waiting another 1/2 hour, the man I had been waiting for finally took the field.
Nomar did his usual pre game OCD warmup, then eventually made his way to a group of fans and started signing. Of course as you would expect, a mosh-pit started as soon as he walked over….and of course I was right in the middle of it. The mosh-pit consisted of little kids, teens, and some adults of course. 1000 people jumped on top of each other, screaming and yelling…some suffocating at the same time. By no means was I larger than all the other kids there, but Nomar decided he would single me out, raise his voice at me and tell me not to lean over all the little people. I mean, give me a break. What the hell was I supposed to do??
Anyway to make a long story short, Nomar signed every other kid’s baseball except for mine. Leaving disappointed, I knew I would have more chances next time since he does the same exact routine every single game day. Every game I went to since then where he was playing, I tried to get into the moshpit of fans, once even falling over the wall onto the fenway dirt with my cousin.
Nevertheless, he was soon traded and I am still without ANG’s (Anthony Nomar Garciaparra) autograph. Maybe I still have a chance to get his autograph now that he is back in the game as a broadcaster. But who knows how long he will last. ESPN may find his tapping on the microphone too annoying to stand. – Jonathan Ugol
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When I read online that Nomar was back with the Sox, my heart leaped. I honestly thought it was some joke the Internet was playing on me, but nope, it was reality. I am truly happy for Nomar and the Sox; while some people may be cynical about it, Nomar had a huge impact on the Red Sox and is not going to be remembered for his time with the Cubs, or the Dodgers, but rather for his time with the Red Sox … for the time he helped form a team that could win, and a team — even though he wasn’t there — that did win. – David DiGiammarino
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I just thought Nomar was so much FUN to watch, especially his relationships with the rest of the team. It’s always fun to watch players that really enjoy being there and enjoy playing and that was Nomar. I know a lot of that “team spirit” lasted after Nomar left, but I definitely think he was one of the guys who really started it. I also loved to watch him bat, especially his crazy rituals! It didn’t hurt that he maintained such a good batting average as well! – Kelly
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Boston Runner also did a great piece on Nomar that gives a brief overview of his career accomplishments. Be sure to check it out and share your memories of Nomar with us.