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There was a debate on our fantasy baseball message board as to what type of reaction former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra would receive upon his return to Fenway Park Monday night, his first appearance in Boston since being dealt from the team almost five years ago this month.

"Personally, I was never a huge Nomar guy but appreciate what he did here. I'll cheer him, but I don't think it will be any huge over-the-top thing. Plus, with the way it all ended here in Boston for him, I doubt that it will be too crazy," one said.

"He was one of my favorite players for many years, but then I felt like he totally spit in the face of the fans in the 2003 playoffs and 2004 before he was traded. He just acted like he was too good for everyone. He would not shave his head when everyone else did, he would sulk in the dugout all the time. I got sick of it. I remember the good times and I remember the bad times. It kind of makes me want to give a half-assed clap and move on," another said.

"It is comparable to someone who falls in love with this great chick, they get married and have a wonderful life going, and five years into their marriage you catch her banging another guy and then you throw her out of the house. When you see her a few years later, you don't give her a high-five, even if you are remarried to an even better girl now. She is still a b*tch....just like Nomar," yet another said.

While a small sample of Red Sox fans, the reaction when his name comes up is likely to illicit similar reactions.

Without a doubt, there was a simmering anger toward Garciaparra for years due to several well-publicized incidents that began in 2003, noted in Seth Mnookin's awesome must-read Red Sox book, Feeding The Monster.

Paraphrased in part from an ESPN excerpt from the book:

- During contract negotiations, Nomar had initially agreed on a four-year, $60 million deal but was firm in wanting an $8 million signing bonus that would bring the total value to $17 million per year.

To him, that was more in the ballpark with what teammates Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez were making, along with fellow shortstops Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. The Red Sox wouldn't budge and the rocky road began.

- In the offseason prior to 2004, Boston publicly went after then-Texas shortstop A-Rod in what would have been one of the biggest deals in Red Sox history. Obviously that didn't go Boston's way (thank God), but, considering the aforementioned circumstances, that didn't go over too well with Nomar or his agent Arn Tellem.

- Mnookin notes that Nomar told friends during the 2003 season that he thought management told the grounds crew to intentionally rough up the dirt at shortstop so it would be tougher on him to make plays.

- He refused to shave his head in a sign of team unity, during the 2003 ALCS, because his then-fiancee Mia Hamm wouldn't allow it due to them getting married. (Coincidentally, exiled Red Sox pariah Manny Ramirez didn't shave his head either.)

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