The Change of Heart
My favorite Nomar epithet: "Lying Boston Backstabber," courtesy of Boston Dirt Dogs.
Yeah, if you read yesterday, I changed my mind. Or rather, I began actually using it.
On July 24, Nomar met with his agent, Dr. Evil, and Theo Epstein, John Henry and Larry Lucchino. Nomar's version: "We talked about the season." Theo and Co.'s version: "We talked about Nomar." I think I'll go with... Theo. Seriously. Give me a break. "They asked me what I thought about the season so far," said Nomar. How about not. They talked about: a. your general unhappiness, b. your mysterious injury that continues to reappear, and c. whether you would be willing to sign with the Sox come this winter. And my guess is that your answers were: a. I hate you, b. I hate you, and c. I really hate you! And, going on that, Theo had no choice but to say, "Fuck you, Nomah," and ship you off. And to that, I say, It's about time.
My entry yesterday was bittersweet. I felt bad for the guy. And then I got over it. Waaaaaaaaaaay over it. OVA. O-V-A. OVA it.
Where should I begin?
I guess what really started getting me is when I faced the reality that Nomar was unhappy and was causing everyone else around him to be unhappy. I guess what they say is really true about girls: no girl wants to believe a guy doesn't like her. It's hard to understand how the feeling can't be mutual; you have so much love for the guy and he's just got nothing in return. I kind of feel that way about Mr. Garciaparra, though as I acknowledged yesterday, the circumstances are complicated.
I go back and forth. Sometimes I feel like the management is to blame for trying to trade Nomar. I feel like last December was the end. When Nomar made that fateful phone call to WEEI from his honeymoon in Hawaii (I mean really, when you're on your honeymoon, in Hawaii, are you going to be listening to talk radio? I sure hope not.), that sealed the end of the Nomar Era, if you ask me. After that, it was done. Here was a guy who always respected his owners, GM, and manager. He never publicly held an argument with a teammate or official. Except once, when the official scorer gave him an error. And when that was reported, people used Nomar's outrage to add to the credibility of his claim: Nomar never got angry, never argued. He was always, above all, respectful. And now, here he was, calling out his bosses on national (well, national to Red Sox "Nation") radio. Just taking a guess, but I think that signaled the beginning of the end for everyone.
And so, when the Sox began the season, it becaming increasingly obvious that Nomar wasn't happy and Nomar wasn't gonna be Nomah for much longer. And what really kills me is that Nomar didn't maintain his respectful attitude that had become his trademark. Byung-Hyung Kim was more respectful of the fans than Nomar was at the end. Let him talk all he wants about how he respected the uniform, how he respected the tradition, how he respected the fans. You know what I say to that? Bullllllsheeeeeet, Nomah. Bullshit!
Maybe I'm mistaken, but, oh, I don't know, I figure that to be respectful of a team and its tradition, you need to do everything in your power to play every day and help the team win. And, again, I might be wrong here, but I think that to do that, you have to be supportive of your team and sincere in your efforts. Again, I don't really know if I'm on the right track here. I'm just taking a stab in the dark.
Remember when Nomar first got his injury? In March, Garciaparra had this little "tweak" in his Achilles. "A couple days' rest," said happyman Terry Francona. Maybe Francona was speaking about a couple of days in the Biblical sense, because as far as I know, no two days last two months - not even on "Passions." (By the way, "Passions" did have a New Year's Eve cruise that lasted two weeks. When the cruise finally docked, we had seen about five almost-fights, three almost-found-out-that-your-mom-is-my-daughter, and three midget takedowns, all of which amounted to nothing so that they could play back the exact same storyline with all the teasers on the next big event, like the Passions prom, when all the adults dress up and go too. Who the hell invents this shit?) So anyway, Nomar's minor "day-to-day" injury sidelined him until JUNE. JUNE. JUNE! And while the Sox played the Yankees, Nomar sat with Larry Bird and watched the Celtics. He watched the Bruins. He went around town. He went to California. He went everywhere but Fenway Park, everywhere but his living room couch, where he should have been, RESTING his foot. Not walking around everywhere. So, when he says now that he knew the injury would take him the season to recover, and when he says that he knew only rest would really help, and he could rest in the offseason, I'm sorry, I have to ask, WHY WEREN'T YOU RESTING IT WHILE YOU SAT OUT FOR TWO FREAKIN MONTHS? Am I the only one here? Hello? Anybody? Bueller?
And then what really got me is that after playing for a month, he told management that he'd need considerable time off. You asshole. You already GOT time off. Nomar thought his M.D. in Bullshit was more significant than the MRI, and so he deemed himself unable to play. Nobody puts up with this crap when Manny pulls it, and I don't think anybody should when Nomar does. But, Nomar would not be deterred. He threatened a trip to the DL. When Nomar signaled he wouldn't be available reliably for the rest of the season, that's when I think Epstein had had enough. And thank god for that.
I love this exchange between Lucchino and Nomar: "I called him in his hotel room just to wish him luck and thank him for all he did for the franchise," Sox CEO Larry Lucchino said last night. "Then I asked him, 'How's the heel?' He said, 'It's great.'" "(I said,) 'Great? How can it be great? Two days ago, you thought you were going to have to go on the DL.' He said, 'Yeah, well, it's great now.'"
If that doesn't sound like an asshole, I really don't know what qualifies.
Oh, wait, this might too:
"[The Cubs] didn’t have the concerns physically for Nomar that the Red Sox had. They have no doubt that he’ll give 100% here. (Gerry Callahan: Really, it can’t be both... if he gives 100% and doesn’t go on the DL for the Cubs, then he was tanking it for the Red Sox) I know, well that’s my conclusion frankly. If he doesn’t miss a substantial number of games, then yes, I believe so. The conditions that existed in Boston, do not exist here." (Chicago Tribune reporter giving information.)
Maybe his Achilles tendon is particularly susceptible in the Boston area.
OR MAYBE HE IS AN ASSHOLE!
Gerry Callahan's reply to the reporter's comments, I believe, is the best: "He's (Nomar's) a complete disgrace, he's a fraud, he's a phony."
I don't believe there would be this much resentment if Nomar had played faithfully and had been sincere. I really believe if he had played every game he could, if he hadn't played up his injury, he would have been remembered with such great affection regardless of the outcome. Nobody hates Mo Vaughn (...right?) Nobody hates Dennis Eckersley or Carlton Fisk. These guys, they played elsewhere, but while in Boston, they embodied the uniform, no holding anything back. Nomar didn't. Nomar became a whiny superstar who refused to get over himself. He couldn't get over his personal grievance for the good of the team. He wouldn't do it. And that's unforgiveable. And he was a phony, and he was a fake, and he was an asshole. And he wasn't respectful. Nobody can say they respect a team and a city and a fanbase when they aren't working to achieve the common goal. And he wasn't.
If Nomar really wanted to respect his team and his city and his fans, he would have looked to some of his teammates. Three other big names are up for free agency this falL: Varitek, Lowe, and Pedro. Two of the three have whined about it, about the lack of respect the club showed them. Now I bet Derek Lowe wished he had shut up and taken his money. Pedro won't take anything unless it's given to him on a golden plate. But look at Jason Varitek. Here's a guy who is without question the leader on the team. He prepares for a game with detailed charts and videos. He holds team meetings. He steals bases, for godsake. I haven't heard about Varitek ONCE complaining about the team. Or about any injury. Or about any management. Not once. And out of the four, he's the most valuable to them! Maybe Nomar should have taken a page from Varitek's book. Or how about Trot Nixon, who signed a contract extension this spring, for considerably less than he's worth (questionable now with a lingering injury, but still)? How about David Ortiz, who did the same? And yes, I will throw Brian Daubach in the group, as a guy who has been embarrassed by management more times than he's struck out (a difficult feat for the Dauber): first he's not even offered a contract and plays with the White Sox in 2003, then he comes back for a measly (I know, measly!) $500,000 this year, and, in opening weekend at Fenway Park, he's sent down to Pawtucket. He's recalled, only to be sent back down while Andy Dominique - ANDY DOMINIQUE! - takes his locker. Really! And he does it all. And he goes to Pawtucket, sucks it up, and bangs it up. That's some respect. How about Pokey Reese? How about Kevin Millar, who has had real trouble swinging, but is out there defending and supporting and cheering on every one of his teammates? I didn't see Nomar once cheer for anybody but himself and his stupid multimillion dollar contract. Giv me a break.
I wrote this whole sentimental thing yesterday about how Boston loved Nomar and Boston should remember the love. And yeah, it should. But it should also remember that it wasn't reciprocated. Nomar didn't love Boston. If he had, it would have been a no-brainer: sign for the $60 million, finish out your career in Boston, get your number retired, own the city. Really, it was a pretty easy decision. ... IF you liked where you were. And clearly, Nomar didn't. So fuck him. That's what I say. Ultimately, that's my stand on it. So I guess when Nomar comes back to Fenway Park, I hope the Sox fans show Nomar the same respect he showed us all season.
Boo the hell out of him.
Yeah, if you read yesterday, I changed my mind. Or rather, I began actually using it.
On July 24, Nomar met with his agent, Dr. Evil, and Theo Epstein, John Henry and Larry Lucchino. Nomar's version: "We talked about the season." Theo and Co.'s version: "We talked about Nomar." I think I'll go with... Theo. Seriously. Give me a break. "They asked me what I thought about the season so far," said Nomar. How about not. They talked about: a. your general unhappiness, b. your mysterious injury that continues to reappear, and c. whether you would be willing to sign with the Sox come this winter. And my guess is that your answers were: a. I hate you, b. I hate you, and c. I really hate you! And, going on that, Theo had no choice but to say, "Fuck you, Nomah," and ship you off. And to that, I say, It's about time.
My entry yesterday was bittersweet. I felt bad for the guy. And then I got over it. Waaaaaaaaaaay over it. OVA. O-V-A. OVA it.
Where should I begin?
I guess what really started getting me is when I faced the reality that Nomar was unhappy and was causing everyone else around him to be unhappy. I guess what they say is really true about girls: no girl wants to believe a guy doesn't like her. It's hard to understand how the feeling can't be mutual; you have so much love for the guy and he's just got nothing in return. I kind of feel that way about Mr. Garciaparra, though as I acknowledged yesterday, the circumstances are complicated.
I go back and forth. Sometimes I feel like the management is to blame for trying to trade Nomar. I feel like last December was the end. When Nomar made that fateful phone call to WEEI from his honeymoon in Hawaii (I mean really, when you're on your honeymoon, in Hawaii, are you going to be listening to talk radio? I sure hope not.), that sealed the end of the Nomar Era, if you ask me. After that, it was done. Here was a guy who always respected his owners, GM, and manager. He never publicly held an argument with a teammate or official. Except once, when the official scorer gave him an error. And when that was reported, people used Nomar's outrage to add to the credibility of his claim: Nomar never got angry, never argued. He was always, above all, respectful. And now, here he was, calling out his bosses on national (well, national to Red Sox "Nation") radio. Just taking a guess, but I think that signaled the beginning of the end for everyone.
And so, when the Sox began the season, it becaming increasingly obvious that Nomar wasn't happy and Nomar wasn't gonna be Nomah for much longer. And what really kills me is that Nomar didn't maintain his respectful attitude that had become his trademark. Byung-Hyung Kim was more respectful of the fans than Nomar was at the end. Let him talk all he wants about how he respected the uniform, how he respected the tradition, how he respected the fans. You know what I say to that? Bullllllsheeeeeet, Nomah. Bullshit!
Maybe I'm mistaken, but, oh, I don't know, I figure that to be respectful of a team and its tradition, you need to do everything in your power to play every day and help the team win. And, again, I might be wrong here, but I think that to do that, you have to be supportive of your team and sincere in your efforts. Again, I don't really know if I'm on the right track here. I'm just taking a stab in the dark.
Remember when Nomar first got his injury? In March, Garciaparra had this little "tweak" in his Achilles. "A couple days' rest," said happyman Terry Francona. Maybe Francona was speaking about a couple of days in the Biblical sense, because as far as I know, no two days last two months - not even on "Passions." (By the way, "Passions" did have a New Year's Eve cruise that lasted two weeks. When the cruise finally docked, we had seen about five almost-fights, three almost-found-out-that-your-mom-is-my-daughter, and three midget takedowns, all of which amounted to nothing so that they could play back the exact same storyline with all the teasers on the next big event, like the Passions prom, when all the adults dress up and go too. Who the hell invents this shit?) So anyway, Nomar's minor "day-to-day" injury sidelined him until JUNE. JUNE. JUNE! And while the Sox played the Yankees, Nomar sat with Larry Bird and watched the Celtics. He watched the Bruins. He went around town. He went to California. He went everywhere but Fenway Park, everywhere but his living room couch, where he should have been, RESTING his foot. Not walking around everywhere. So, when he says now that he knew the injury would take him the season to recover, and when he says that he knew only rest would really help, and he could rest in the offseason, I'm sorry, I have to ask, WHY WEREN'T YOU RESTING IT WHILE YOU SAT OUT FOR TWO FREAKIN MONTHS? Am I the only one here? Hello? Anybody? Bueller?
And then what really got me is that after playing for a month, he told management that he'd need considerable time off. You asshole. You already GOT time off. Nomar thought his M.D. in Bullshit was more significant than the MRI, and so he deemed himself unable to play. Nobody puts up with this crap when Manny pulls it, and I don't think anybody should when Nomar does. But, Nomar would not be deterred. He threatened a trip to the DL. When Nomar signaled he wouldn't be available reliably for the rest of the season, that's when I think Epstein had had enough. And thank god for that.
I love this exchange between Lucchino and Nomar: "I called him in his hotel room just to wish him luck and thank him for all he did for the franchise," Sox CEO Larry Lucchino said last night. "Then I asked him, 'How's the heel?' He said, 'It's great.'" "(I said,) 'Great? How can it be great? Two days ago, you thought you were going to have to go on the DL.' He said, 'Yeah, well, it's great now.'"
If that doesn't sound like an asshole, I really don't know what qualifies.
Oh, wait, this might too:
"[The Cubs] didn’t have the concerns physically for Nomar that the Red Sox had. They have no doubt that he’ll give 100% here. (Gerry Callahan: Really, it can’t be both... if he gives 100% and doesn’t go on the DL for the Cubs, then he was tanking it for the Red Sox) I know, well that’s my conclusion frankly. If he doesn’t miss a substantial number of games, then yes, I believe so. The conditions that existed in Boston, do not exist here." (Chicago Tribune reporter giving information.)
Maybe his Achilles tendon is particularly susceptible in the Boston area.
OR MAYBE HE IS AN ASSHOLE!
Gerry Callahan's reply to the reporter's comments, I believe, is the best: "He's (Nomar's) a complete disgrace, he's a fraud, he's a phony."
I don't believe there would be this much resentment if Nomar had played faithfully and had been sincere. I really believe if he had played every game he could, if he hadn't played up his injury, he would have been remembered with such great affection regardless of the outcome. Nobody hates Mo Vaughn (...right?) Nobody hates Dennis Eckersley or Carlton Fisk. These guys, they played elsewhere, but while in Boston, they embodied the uniform, no holding anything back. Nomar didn't. Nomar became a whiny superstar who refused to get over himself. He couldn't get over his personal grievance for the good of the team. He wouldn't do it. And that's unforgiveable. And he was a phony, and he was a fake, and he was an asshole. And he wasn't respectful. Nobody can say they respect a team and a city and a fanbase when they aren't working to achieve the common goal. And he wasn't.
If Nomar really wanted to respect his team and his city and his fans, he would have looked to some of his teammates. Three other big names are up for free agency this falL: Varitek, Lowe, and Pedro. Two of the three have whined about it, about the lack of respect the club showed them. Now I bet Derek Lowe wished he had shut up and taken his money. Pedro won't take anything unless it's given to him on a golden plate. But look at Jason Varitek. Here's a guy who is without question the leader on the team. He prepares for a game with detailed charts and videos. He holds team meetings. He steals bases, for godsake. I haven't heard about Varitek ONCE complaining about the team. Or about any injury. Or about any management. Not once. And out of the four, he's the most valuable to them! Maybe Nomar should have taken a page from Varitek's book. Or how about Trot Nixon, who signed a contract extension this spring, for considerably less than he's worth (questionable now with a lingering injury, but still)? How about David Ortiz, who did the same? And yes, I will throw Brian Daubach in the group, as a guy who has been embarrassed by management more times than he's struck out (a difficult feat for the Dauber): first he's not even offered a contract and plays with the White Sox in 2003, then he comes back for a measly (I know, measly!) $500,000 this year, and, in opening weekend at Fenway Park, he's sent down to Pawtucket. He's recalled, only to be sent back down while Andy Dominique - ANDY DOMINIQUE! - takes his locker. Really! And he does it all. And he goes to Pawtucket, sucks it up, and bangs it up. That's some respect. How about Pokey Reese? How about Kevin Millar, who has had real trouble swinging, but is out there defending and supporting and cheering on every one of his teammates? I didn't see Nomar once cheer for anybody but himself and his stupid multimillion dollar contract. Giv me a break.
I wrote this whole sentimental thing yesterday about how Boston loved Nomar and Boston should remember the love. And yeah, it should. But it should also remember that it wasn't reciprocated. Nomar didn't love Boston. If he had, it would have been a no-brainer: sign for the $60 million, finish out your career in Boston, get your number retired, own the city. Really, it was a pretty easy decision. ... IF you liked where you were. And clearly, Nomar didn't. So fuck him. That's what I say. Ultimately, that's my stand on it. So I guess when Nomar comes back to Fenway Park, I hope the Sox fans show Nomar the same respect he showed us all season.
Boo the hell out of him.
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