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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Charles Pierce: Hello, goodbye

I say Nomar, you say Ramon.
You say why and I say I don’t know…what all this happy #### is about!

I am not opposed to Nice Happy Time Moments, per se. But that whole Nomar Garciaparra comedy show this morning stretches my inner Fred Rogers to the breaking point. Here’s a guy, coming back for a one-day dumbshow so that he “can retire as a Red Sock,” because that, apparently, has been a dream of his since shortly after he realized he couldn’t get around on a major-league fastball any more. This is a guy whose presence in the Red Sox clubhouse lingered like a case of cholera for two years before they finally shipped him out of town, who openly loathed the team, but who, apparently having been visited last night by his Guardian Angel Clarence, now has decided that, glorioski, this was the bestest place he ever played.

I sincerely hope that, one day, Manny Ramirez, with whom the Red Sox won two more World Series championships than they did with Garciaparra, is struck by a similar revelation. If it happens, I’m sure the Red Sox will indulge him the same way. Yes, and I am the Tsar of all the Russias.

Repoz Posted: March 10, 2010 at 10:19 PM | 17 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
Related News: General, Boston

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1. karlmagnus Posted: March 10, 2010 at 10:40 PM (#3477013)

I hope the Red Sox bring Manny back in 2011. They need a decent hitter.

2. Dale Sams Posted: March 10, 2010 at 10:40 PM (#3477014)

Has anyone considered actually opening the shades in these Boston newsrooms? Maybe put in an aquarium? It could cut down on BBTF Red Sox articles by 80%.

3. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: March 10, 2010 at 10:43 PM (#3477016)

The real Charles Pierce died last week.

4. Dale Sams Posted: March 10, 2010 at 10:43 PM (#3477017)

The Globe/Herald Newsroom

I suspect it looks something like that.

5. firefredwilpon Posted: March 10, 2010 at 11:56 PM (#3477055)

Nomar posted .313/.361/.521 for a 124 OPS+ for his career. Slightly above average defensively. Considering a career which was probably diminished by injury to some degree, I'd have to think that Sox Nation would be a little kinder. Acting like the Sox would not have won the WS in '04 if Nomar hadn't been sent away for Orlando Cabrera is the height of stupidity. I'm not a Sox fan, but I liked Nomar.

6. Dale Sams Posted: March 11, 2010 at 12:21 AM (#3477069)

So the Sox traded Nomar and Manny for inferior players...because they wanted to lose?

7. Howie Menckel Posted: March 11, 2010 at 12:23 AM (#3477071)

(moves on to longer thread instead)

8. Nasty Nate Posted: March 11, 2010 at 01:13 AM (#3477095)

Considering a career which was probably diminished by injury to some degree, I'd have to think that Sox Nation would be a little kinder.

kinder than what? are you talking about the article, because it is by a newspaper columnist and not a Sox fan.

Acting like the Sox would not have won the WS in '04 if Nomar hadn't been sent away for Orlando Cabrera is the height of stupidity.

acting like you know how a trillion variables would have played out in an alternate universe where they kept Nomar seems even stupider. Especially considering they only won the pennant by the skin of their balls.

9. Mr. J. Penny Smoltzuzaka Posted: March 11, 2010 at 03:07 AM (#3477145)

I guess I'm stupid then... I'm positive there's no way the Red Sox would have won the WS in '04 if Nomar hadn't been excised from the team in July. And I've never heard an informed opinion to the contrary.

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Orlando Cabrera and will grant Nomar was, once upon a time, a very talented Red Sox player.

10. Rough Carrigan

Posted: March 11, 2010 at 04:04 AM (#3477171)

#5. Nomar was a bad defender in 2004 and wasn't the hitter he'd been in previous years either. He was a worse defender than Cabrera that year and no longer appreciably better at the plate. The Red Sox would have had a harder time beating the yankees than they did, which was plenty hard enough already.

11. CFBF Hates Hyphens Posted: March 11, 2010 at 04:16 AM (#3477177)

Jason Whitlock once wrote the exact same column after the Chiefs allowed Derrick Alexander to sign a one-day contract and retire as a Chief. Granted that Alexander was the dictionary definition of mediocre, it struck me then (as this strikes me now) as sour and mean.

12. JoeC Posted: March 11, 2010 at 04:43 AM (#3477187)

I was disappointed to find out that there were only three Russias - Great, Little, and White. I guess that *technically* qualifies you to be Tsar of All the Russias, but c'mon.

13. tl; dr (Voxter)

Posted: March 11, 2010 at 04:56 AM (#3477191)

Good god, this is a pile of grumpiness, isn't it?

Me, I loved Nomar. I had a cat in college that I named Nomar. At his best, he was absolutely the most thrilling player to watch play the field that there was -- fast, agile, quick to react, coiled tight as a spring, dangerous as nearly anybody at the plate. I've got no ill-will toward the man. His star had faded a bit by the time the Sox shipped him out, but to be honest, I'm kind of glad I didn't have to watch the great collapse in a Red Sox uniform.

14. Dan Szymborski

Posted: March 11, 2010 at 06:23 AM (#3477208)

#5. Nomar was a bad defender in 2004 and wasn't the hitter he'd been in previous years either. He was a worse defender than Cabrera that year and no longer appreciably better at the plate.

Cabrera was solid for the Red Sox and Nomar's defense was terrible, but let's not go nuts here - a 40 point edge in OPS+ isn't "no longer appreciably better."

15. Baseballs Most Beloved Figure Posted: March 11, 2010 at 07:55 AM (#3477225)

There is no such thing as "retiring" for a particular team. Until and unless he actually gets into a game with another team Garciaparra's statistical record will always show that the last team he played for was the Oakland Athletics.

Teams should just let these guys have their farewell press conferences without going through the charade of acting like the one day contract means anything.

16. Flynn Posted: March 11, 2010 at 09:49 AM (#3477234)

Nomar was telling the Red Sox he couldn't play everyday, which evened it out between him and Cabrera. Plus his defense was legitimately terrible that year.

17. gef the talking mongoose Posted: March 11, 2010 at 03:05 PM (#3477300)

The real Charles Pierce died last week.

Damnation. This is the first I've heard of it (serves me right for not visiting the Classic Horror Film Board as much as usual). He was "Mayor Chuckles" on the Texarkana/Shreveport NBC affiliate's after-school cartoon show when I was a kid.

18. Chip Posted: March 11, 2010 at 04:09 PM (#3477340)

This is all about retirement income, isn't it? He and his agent wanted this nice little bit of positive PR to help him secure a few Boston-area endorsements - bet we'll be hearing/seeing him on ads for Bob's Stores or Legal Seafoods or someone similar on Sox broadcasts this season. Not to mention the card show signing bucks probably get a little boost, too.

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Charles Pierce: Hello, goodbye

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