Yesterday, it turns out, was Nomar Garciaparra’s birthday. So that’s as good as any occasion to revisit the night he returned to Fenway Park as a member of the Oakland A’s.
Bizarre as it sounds now, there as actually a bit of chatter before Ramon in Reverse’s return, as some folks thought he might actually get booed by the Fenway Faithful. Are you shitting me? We know the guy left his heart and soul on the field, and in our minds, he was the gritty workhorse to Jeter’s slick Gotham show horse, and we never let the Yanks forget it whenever they rolled up into town.
Hell, he even got baseball’s equivalent of a blessing from the Pope when Teddy Ballgame got all giddy upon seeing his grinning mug during the pregame to the 1999 All-Star Game at Fenway. And I’ll never forget how after the Sox crashed and burned against Cleveland in the 1998 ALDS, Nomar came out of the dugout and applauded the fans, because he knew how much it hurt us to have our fingers caught in yet another playoff door slammed shut.
Anyway, happy day after yer birthday, Nomar. And thanks for classing up the joint while you were here.
