I received 3 text messages yesterday…. all about Nomar Garciaparra retiring as a Res Sox player.  It really is one of the most interesting stories of the spring, which might say something about the state of baseball right now.  But, the fact it generated a fair amount of buzz, says a fair amount about Nomar and who he was with the Red Sox.

Remember when there were only three shortstops?  (People so quickly forgot Omar Vizquel.)  Now only one remains at that position.

Nomar was loved.  He seemed a little crazy- his toe-tapping, glove tightening routine was so methodical that somehow it excused some of his less pleasant behavior- at least to those of us who watched him.  Eric Wilbur writes a beautiful piece about all of this, noting both the world of those who knew him, and how others who didn’t, like Wilbur’s young brother felt about a guy called Nomar.  Dan Shaghnessey writes an angry rant against the whole idea of bringing Nomar back as a ceremonial Red Sox player.

I was at the July 1, 2004 game.  It was a game like no other.  The only game, I think, in my entire life, where I can remember it nearly from start to finish.  Derek Jeter went face first into the stands.  Gary Sheffield played third base.  The Yankees lost the use of the DH, because they had to bring Bernie Williams, who had started at DH, to play center field.  Every Yankee on the roster played in that game. (Pitchers were used like in the National League after the loss of the DH.)  Every Red Sox position player took the field, except for one.  Nomar Garciaparra.  His team needed him- really.  But it was his walk year, and he had just come off the DL and he wasn’t risking getting hurt.  If you weren’t at this game, you may not remember what a big deal that was.  Remember, this is before the 86 year old “curse” had been broken.

Nomar was traded weeks later.

Wilbur is right.  Resigning Nomar so he could retire a Red Sox is only fitting.  Once he left behind his Red Sox uniform he realized how precious that world was.  He went to the Cubs, to the Dodgers but was always looked at like an interloper and a hanger on. He couldn’t have known how special he had it in Boston- not until he left.  Shaughnessey might be right that the event yesterday felt phony.  It needed a bit more honesty from Nomar.  I bit of a mea culpa for his part in quitting on his teammates on July 1 would have been in order.  But Wilbur also gets it right- the fans remember going to see Nomar and the excitement he brought when there wasn’t a lot to get excited about.  He was Mike Piazza for the Mets.  He was Ryne Sandberg for the Cubs.  The fans are happy he is back- and no matter what- that is the important thing.