No More Nomar

Nomar Garciaparra has reached the end of the line, anouncing this morning that he will sign a one day contract with the Boston Red Sox and retire from Major League Baseball.
It seems like 14 seasons never went by so fast. I remember sitting at Jacobs Field for All-Star workout day back in Nomar’s rookie season watching him win the Rookie Home Run Derby. From there he’d piece together some of the finest offensive seasons ever recorded by a shortstop from 1998 to 2000; posting averages of .323, .357, and .372 respectively.
He was part of a group that revolutionized the shortstop position, a position that was known to be light-hitting and all defense. Now, this was aided by the use of PED’s we’ve since learned, but the guy will always have his place in Red Sox lore. Whether or not it was aided, the guy was an icon in Boston and part of a franchise’s early resurgence.
He played in 3 LCS, but never a World Series. He finished in the top 10 for the MVP voting five times, but never won an MVP. The lifetime average rests at .313 and he knocked 229 baseballs out of the park.
Nomar will always have his place in history. At age 35, there wasn’t a whole lot of places to climb from here. Let it be known and let it be written, Nomar Garciaparra has played his final game.
Nomar Garciaparra’s lifetime statistics [Baseball Reference]