Boston Red Sox Wrap: It's OK To Forgive Nomar Garciaparra

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.)

- During the infamous July 1, 2004, 13-inning classic against the rival Yankees, he famously sat the bench while teammate Pokey Reese and rival Jeter were diving all over the stadium to help their teams win the game.

But even when Garciaparra was famously dealt at the trading deadline in 2004, people weren't overjoyed at his departure and some expressed concern about what the Red Sox got in return. It was one thing to deal a malcontent, but to get just Orlando Cabrera and Doug Whatshisname? Come on now!

However, it was obvious a change needed to be made and what happened in the next three months for Boston would become that of legend. The trade was a catalyst. Whether you want to solely point to the extraction of Nomar as a reason for the Red Sox' success, so be it.

And just like that, Nomar Garciaparra—the man that became a New England sports icon—faded away into relative, injury-riddled obscurity...until Monday night.

After doing a ton of interviews where he praised the fans, attempted to explained his side of the situation, and openly pined to finish his career in red and white, there was nothing that could have prepared him for what was about to happen in the second inning—a minute-plus standing and roaring ovation.

It was one of those Fenway alumni moments when the fans that pack the park that night become proxy for the rest of us watching at home. For most players, it's something all of us non-athletes can only dream of experiencing. For others like Johnny Damon, it can be a bitter pill to swallow.

For those fans willing to forgive, it was a goosebump inspiring moment.

For those that choose to remain wet from the Hurricane Nomar storm pattern of 2003-04, it was like hearing fingernails down a chalkboard, an irritating gesture for someone that was painted to seem like he couldn't wait to get out of town.

In this era of a new Red Sox Nation, I think it's time to forgive Nomar for his transgressions and appreciate exactly what we had here for so long. Some rationale, angry mob?

- It was a much different media era before that '04 World Series win, a media which helped fuel the raging fire of generations of angry fans and their own angry agendas. Admit it: Everyone was on edge back then and willing to snap or turn on anything.

Now after not one, but two titles? Only Julio Lugo can do wrong in our eyes.

Jason Bay isn't willing to negotiate during the season, and we rationalize it. Nomar wanting to be more in the price bracket with his peers, however, was seen as mutiny. Different era, different tolerance.

- This ownership/front office group has changed a lot as well. Ever since the great public Theo Epstein/Larry Lucchino spat of 2005, the Red Sox are a lot more guarded with how they discuss players with the media They know about how fast the wildfire can spread.

If you asked the brain-trust if they would handle the situation differently now, I think they would agree they would. Even the smartest drivers need time to adjust to new cars, and this was a Lamborghini that was about to pull onto the Autobahn.

- Putting some of this on Nomar, he definitely didn't help matters with some of the actions described above. His dispute and anger was never directed at the fans, however, but at the front office. I can understand feeling like we're part of that front office in a sense, but only to a point.

- Since the trade, it's not like Nomar has stuck it to anyone with his tremendous output. Since '03, he's only played 100+ games twice. His '06 campaign of .303/20/93 in 122 games with the L.A. Dodgers was the only blip on an otherwise bleak radar. He is no longer offensively relevant and is relegated to 1B/DH duties with the Athletics—a far cry from his days at shortstop in Boston.

So for the remaining Nomar haters, I will leave you with some closing thoughts. While I can respect the fact you don't like Nomar, I don't understand it.

He's served his penance for whatever ills he created during his last years in Boston, including the ultimate insult of not being part of the 2004 World Series winning club—a feat I am sure he wanted to achieve while here. What else do you want from him?

Choose to remember the guy that went to five All-Star games for you, the guy that won two batting titles, the 1997 Rookie of the Year, and the 1998 AL MVP runner-up.

Choose to remember the guy that was putting up Hall-of-Fame worthy numbers through his first eight seasons in Boston with a .323 batting average, 1281 hits, 178 homers, and 690 RBI in 966 career games, the guy that Ted Williams gushed about after talking to him about hitting for the first time.

It's your right to not like Nomar for how he acted, but you can't ignore how he performed while he was here.

Josh Nason is the publisher and main writer for Small White Ball, a New England-based sports and media blog, and has been a Bleacher Report contributor since 2008. You can email the author at josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com] or follow him on Twitter.