Nomar's Return Recalls Bitter Exit

Nomar Garciaparra, who at one time was Boston's version of Joe DiMaggio, played in Fenway Park last night for the first time since he was traded on July 31, 2004. His first at-bat was cause for a long and emotional standing ovation. Garciaparra was moved to the brink of tears as he acknowledged the cheers of fans who still remember all of the great things he did in a Boston uniform. In the A's 6-0 win over the Red Sox, Nomar went 2-for-4 and had an RBI. Watching him hit brought back fond memories of a time when his swing was married to the dimensions of Fenway. Lost in the nostalgia was a belief that Nomar's exit might have been avoided all together. When Nomar was traded to the Cubs in a four-team/multi-player deal that landed Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz for the Red Sox, it was time for him to leave. There was an intense bitterness between him and Red Sox management and it was effecting his play. However, if the Red Sox management had dealt with Nomar on better terms in the days leading up to the 2004 season, there would have been little reason to move him. Nomar's contract was due to expire after the 2004 season. Negotiations opened up over the winter and there was an expectation that the then 30-year-old shortstop would continue his career in a Red Sox uniform. Unfortunately, the negotiations did not work out for Nomar. The Red Sox began and ended their offers with a 4-year/$60-million deal. Justly comparing himself to fellow shortstops Alex Rodriguez (who was playing under a 10-year/$250-million deal) and Derek Jeter (10-year/$119-million), Nomar believed he was worth more money. The Red Sox disagreed. Negotiations ended. The next move by Red Sox management was to try and pry Rodriguez and his $25-million annual salary away from the Texas Rangers. The Sox offered Manny Ramirez - to make the money work for both sides - as well as promising left-handed pitching prospect Jon Lester. The Red Sox also planned to trade Garciaparra to the White Sox in exchange for Magglio Ordonez. Neither deal ever took place because the MLB Players Union would not allow Rodriguez to renegotiate his deal to make it more financially sound for the Red Sox. That left Nomar, who already felt wronged by a contract offer he felt was too low for his talent, in a position to play for a team that had very publicly tried to trade him. To make matters worse, Nomar was hurt to start the 2004 season. He did not return until late May and even then, he was not the Nomar of old. He still could hit - he could always hit - but the injury to his achilles tendon made him a liability in the field. With the Sox struggling to keep up with the Yankees - who did successfully trade for Rodriguez on Valentine's Day as a replacement at third base for Aaron Boone - they came to the decision that to be a World Series team, they had to replace Nomar. On July 1, 2004, Nomar refused to enter an extra innings game in Yankee Stadium that the Sox eventually lost. One month later, he was sent to the Chicago Cubs. In the aftermath of the Nomar trade the Red Sox have gone on to win the World Series in 2004 and 2007. Nomar has gone on to play for the Cubs, Dodgers, and A's and has continued to fight injuries that have derailed what at one time was a surefire Hall of Fame career. The combination of Boston's success and Nomar's struggles have made him almost an afterthought to the members of Red Sox Nation who at one time were faithful members of the "No-mah" fan club. In spite of what has taken place since July 31, 2004, never forget that Nomar was the 1997 A.L. Rookie of the Year or that he won consecutive batting titles in 1999 (.357) and 2000 (.372) or that he represented the Sox at the All-Star Game six times or that he led the team to the playoffs in 1998, 1999, and 2003.