Comments on: Outtakes: Nomar Garciaparra sounds off on Boston http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/ Media, Baseball, Boston, the Red Sox, Music, Literature, and Mnookins Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:38:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Ghostrunner http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-33 Ghostrunner Wed, 21 Jun 2006 13:33:34 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-33 As a Sox fan, any ill feelings I had towards Nomar I have long ago gotten over. I hope he wins the triple crown this year. The guy played hard but made himself miserable over contract issues and listening to the media / fan critics too much. I see him more like the onfield Moses of the Red Sox, i.e., Lead everyone through the wilderness but never allowed into the Promised Land. The Mo Vaugn comment deserves quick mention. I'm not sure how it was edited but I don't think Mo caught much grief for going to a 'Strip Club'. He had too much to drink, drove home, flipped his pick-up over on I-95 and one of those aweful Boston fans pulled over, drove him home before police could arrive to give him a field test saving him from a DUI and he was still well liked by fans afterwards. I think he's still well liked today. Just because his 'not about the money' soundbite is overplayed on WEEI doesn't make him disliked. Sports radio only vaguely represents reality. <i>EDIT: The outtakes aren't edited at all, except for grammatical errors that sound fine when someone's speaking but make the speaker look foolish when they're written out. -- Seth</i> As a Sox fan, any ill feelings I had towards Nomar I have long ago gotten over. I hope he wins the triple crown this year. The guy played hard but made himself miserable over contract issues and listening to the media / fan critics too much. I see him more like the onfield Moses of the Red Sox, i.e., Lead everyone through the wilderness but never allowed into the Promised Land.

The Mo Vaugn comment deserves quick mention. I’m not sure how it was edited but I don’t think Mo caught much grief for going to a ‘Strip Club’. He had too much to drink, drove home, flipped his pick-up over on I-95 and one of those aweful Boston fans pulled over, drove him home before police could arrive to give him a field test saving him from a DUI and he was still well liked by fans afterwards. I think he’s still well liked today. Just because his ‘not about the money’ soundbite is overplayed on WEEI doesn’t make him disliked. Sports radio only vaguely represents reality.

EDIT: The outtakes aren’t edited at all, except for grammatical errors that sound fine when someone’s speaking but make the speaker look foolish when they’re written out. — Seth

]]> By: Nordberg http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-32 Nordberg Wed, 21 Jun 2006 06:01:45 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-32 Nomar was too thin-skinned for what was given to him in Boston. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But it ate Nomar alive. He wanted to play and be left alone. In Boston, when you play the way he did, that's not going to happen. It was his double-edged sword. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I'm sure there are more cliches. Nomar never got comfortable with the publicity, but he never tried to get his hands around it, either. I firmly belive that Nomar's figurative "collapse" in Boston is connected to Ted Williams' death. Nomar was close to Ted. And when Ted died, Nomar seemed to wilt under the spotlight. It was almost like Ted was his filter, his sounding board, his mentor. When Ted died, he had no one to go to who truly understood the madness. And then he changed. I took me a good year after he was traded to understand that all he really wanted was to play baseball and be left alone. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. But in Boston, that's not going to work. Some guys can take it and some guys can't. Nomar was too thin-skinned for what was given to him in Boston. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But it ate Nomar alive. He wanted to play and be left alone. In Boston, when you play the way he did, that’s not going to happen. It was his double-edged sword. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I’m sure there are more cliches. Nomar never got comfortable with the publicity, but he never tried to get his hands around it, either.
I firmly belive that Nomar’s figurative “collapse” in Boston is connected to Ted Williams’ death.
Nomar was close to Ted. And when Ted died, Nomar seemed to wilt under the spotlight. It was almost like Ted was his filter, his sounding board, his mentor. When Ted died, he had no one to go to who truly understood the madness. And then he changed. I took me a good year after he was traded to understand that all he really wanted was to play baseball and be left alone. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. But in Boston, that’s not going to work. Some guys can take it and some guys can’t.

]]> By: vanillathunder http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-31 vanillathunder Wed, 21 Jun 2006 02:59:37 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-31 I don't understand Nomar's point about being a superstar in Boston. He gives individuals as examples, but then never delineates what happened to them. He says "what he (Ted)went through," "Jim Rice had to deal with it," "Then on the last stretch it's different." What, what is? What exactly are you talking about? Further, take Yaz, Dewey, Can, Tiant, Eck. Perhaps they weren't stars on the level of Williams and Nomar. However they all seem to have survived their fame in Boston quite well and are still cherished. It seems to me the "problems" that plagued the players Nomar mentions can easily be related to their particular personality/conduct. Williams is widely acclaimed as a selfish prick. Clemens was underperforming, told everyone he wanted to be closer to home then went to Toronto, and then played for the Yankees. Jim Rice was surly and aloof. Mo gained weight every year, and played the "it's not about the money" card to death, insulting any halfway intelligent fan. Nomar was injury prone and never opened up to the people or seemed to like playing in Boston, his protestations to the contrary. I'm curious to read more excerpts and the book, although I'm not a Sox fan. I don’t understand Nomar’s point about being a superstar in Boston. He gives individuals as examples, but then never delineates what happened to them. He says “what he (Ted)went through,” “Jim Rice had to deal with it,” “Then on the last stretch it’s different.” What, what is? What exactly are you talking about?

Further, take Yaz, Dewey, Can, Tiant, Eck. Perhaps they weren’t stars on the level of Williams and Nomar. However they all seem to have survived their fame in Boston quite well and are still cherished. It seems to me the “problems” that plagued the players Nomar mentions can easily be related to their particular personality/conduct. Williams is widely acclaimed as a selfish prick. Clemens was underperforming, told everyone he wanted to be closer to home then went to Toronto, and then played for the Yankees. Jim Rice was surly and aloof. Mo gained weight every year, and played the “it’s not about the money” card to death, insulting any halfway intelligent fan. Nomar was injury prone and never opened up to the people or seemed to like playing in Boston, his protestations to the contrary.

I’m curious to read more excerpts and the book, although I’m not a Sox fan.

]]> By: slave2lab http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-29 slave2lab Tue, 20 Jun 2006 22:40:07 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-29 Dirt Dog clearly has it out for Nomah. How many times have we seen random news about the Nomar (i.e. any time he has a career setback of any kind) when for the most part, no one either cares anymore, or really wants to dwell on the fact that, 'Yeah, passing on Nomar was a good move!'? Let it go. He doesn't say one bad thing about the fans in this article. In fact he identifies with fan passion in this city. And what he says about the media... who can argue against that? Dirt Dog clearly has it out for Nomah.

How many times have we seen random news about the Nomar (i.e. any time he has a career setback of any kind) when for the most part, no one either cares anymore, or really wants to dwell on the fact that, ‘Yeah, passing on Nomar was a good move!’?

Let it go. He doesn’t say one bad thing about the fans in this article. In fact he identifies with fan passion in this city. And what he says about the media… who can argue against that?

]]> By: horasio http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-28 horasio Tue, 20 Jun 2006 19:07:06 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-28 Yeah lol, all I see is a minor insult to the media. Maybe you guys should listen to him. Yeah lol, all I see is a minor insult to the media. Maybe you guys should listen to him.

]]> By: Denzera http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-27 Denzera Tue, 20 Jun 2006 17:23:06 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-27 Someone should tell Dirt Dog that in no way is "Nomar whines about Boston" an accurate description of the content here. I didn't read one complaint. Did he even read the article? Someone should tell Dirt Dog that in no way is “Nomar whines about Boston” an accurate description of the content here. I didn’t read one complaint. Did he even read the article?

]]> By: Nordberg http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-25 Nordberg Tue, 20 Jun 2006 15:10:32 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/06/19/outtakes-nomar-garciaparra-sounds-off-on-boston/#comment-25 Nomar rambles. Nomar rambles.

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