Meet Nomar Garciaparra

 NOMAR GARCIAPARRA

Positions: Shortstop, First Baseman and Third Baseman

Full Name: Anthony Nomar Garciaparra

Bats: Right - Throws: Right

Born: July 23, 1973 in Whittier, California, USA

Organizations: Boston Red Sox (9), Los Angeles Dodgers (3), Chicago Cubs (2), Oakland Athletics (1)

NOMAR GARCIAPARRA'S WALL OF GLORY

HONORS AND AWARDS

• All Star: 6 (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006)
• Rookie of the Year: 1 (1997)
• Silver Slugger: 1 (1997)

BATTING

• Batting Average: 2 (1999, 2000)
• Hits Leader: 1 (1997)
• Doubles Leader: 1 (2002)
• Triples Leader: 1 (1997)
• AB Leader: 1 (1997)

FIELDING

• Putouts as SS: 1 (1997)
• Double Plays Turned as SS: 1 (1997)

WHO?

Nomar Garciaparra is an American former SS, 1B and 3B. He was an 6-time All-Star for the Boston Red Sox (5) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1) and 2-time batting champion.

Nomar Garciaparra, who is of Mexican-American descent, played during 14 seasons, winning unanimously the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 1997 (AVG .306, 30 HR, 98 RBI, 22 SB), as well as the Silver Slugger Award. His 209 base hits are a Boston rookie record, his RBI a record for leadoff hitters and his HR a record for a rookie shortstop. A tremendous season.

Garciaparra won his two batting crowns back-to-back in 1999 (.357) and 2000 (.372), becoming the first right-handed batter to do so since Joe DiMaggio (1939-40). His AVG of .372 in 2000 was the highest by a right-handed in the post-war era.

Nomar Garciaparra suffered a wrist injury in 2001. He recovered and had two more great seasons in Boston, but it is said that this injury (along with an Achilles injury) altered forever his career. After two partial seasons with the Chicago Cubs while batting his injuries, the former batting champion joined the Dodgers as first baseman, and latter third baseman. He retired with the A's in 2009.

MY COMMENT:

Nomar Garciaparra (debuting in 1996) was one of the new group of slugging-shortstops, a position not known for its power (with few exceptions, like Ernie Banks, Cal Ripken Jr, and Robin Yount), bringing new standards to future SSs. in the same era debuted Alex S. Gonzalez (1994), Alex Rodriguez (1994), Derek Jeter (1995), and Alex Gonzalez (1998).

Garciaparra was on a track to have an Hall of Fame carrier, considering that, before his wrist injury (2001) his AVG raised every year: .241, .306, .323, .357 and .372). in that time the baseball agent Scott Boras predicted that Garciaparra would have an AVG of .336,  3581 Hits and 513 HR by age 40. His final stats were: AVG of .313, 229 HR and 936 RBI. A great career derailed by injuries.

Fun fact: Nomar Garciaparra married Olympian and World Cup Champion soccer star Mia Hamm in 2003.

BEST FIVE SEASONS

What do you think? Garciaparra could be enshrined if it not for his injuries? Share your thoughts!