Nomar Garciaparra

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Garciaparra, who is of Mexican-American descent, was born in Whittier, California, and attended St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California. His middle name comes from his father, Ramon; Nomar is 'Ramon' spelled backwards. When Nomar was a young boy, his father stressed the importance of not striking out, offering him 25 cents for each hit in tee ball and fining him 50 cents for every strikeout. When Nomar was 13, Ramon once put him in a batting cage against a college pitcher who could throw 90 miles per hour (140 km/h). After missing the first pitch, Nomar proceeded to hit solid line drives on the next two pitches. As a boy, Nomar was nicknamed 'No Nonsense Nomar' for his methodical and tireless preparation as an athlete. The Milwaukee Brewers selected Garciaparra in the fifth round of the 1991 draft, however, he did not sign. Instead, he enrolled at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he played college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Garciaparra helped the Yellow Jackets reach the College World Series title game in 1994; they lost to Oklahoma. Garciaparra was an Atlantic Coast Conference All-Star and a first team All-American twice in 1993–94. He batted .427 in his final season at Georgia Tech. In 1992 Garciaparra played on the United States Olympic Baseball team in the Summer Olympics in Barcelona. In 1993, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). Garciaparra batted .321 and led Orleans to the league championship. He was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2002.

In Their Own Story

The trajectory of Garciaparra's career shifted dramatically following his 2000 peak. In February 2001, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated shirtless and muscular under the headline "A Cut Above... baseball's toughest out," though the image later fueled speculation about steroid usage. Days after the issue hit newsstands, an old wrist injury flared up, forcing him to start the season on the disabled list. He did not return until July 29, 2001, where he immediately hit a memorable home run. However, by late August, the wrist acted up again, ending his season after just 21 games with only four homers and eight RBI. Many believe this injury altered the course of his career, marking the first in a series of significant physical struggles that plagued his remaining years.

Reader's Guide

Following his career at Georgia Tech, Garciaparra was a first-round draft pick of the Red Sox in 1994, and entered the Red Sox farm system. He began his professional career in Class A Advanced, as a member of the Sarasota Red Sox following his NCAA season. Since the season was already well underway by the point Garciaparra joined the team, he only appeared in 28 games. However, he batted .295 and hit his first professional home run. In 1995, Garciaparra moved up to join the Double-A Trenton Thunder. In 125 games, he batted .267 with eight home runs and again walked more than he struck out. He also showcased his speed, stealing 35 bases, and continued gathering experience at shortstop. After the 1995 season, rather than go home, Garciaparra embarked on an ambitious off-season training regimen to add 15 pounds of muscle. In 1996, he found himself at the highest level of the minors playing for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. That season, Garciaparra batted .343 with 16 home runs and 46 RBI in just 43 games and earned a late-season call up to the Major Leagues. Garciaparra made his Major League debut on August 31, 1996, as a defensive replacement against Oakland, going 0-for-1. His first Major League hit was a home run off Oakland pitcher John Wasdin on September 1, a game in which Garciaparra recorded three hits. Garciaparra batted .241 with four home runs, 16 RBI, and five stolen bases in his initial stint with the club at the end of 1996. On September 18, 1996, Garciaparra stole his first major league base against the Tigers, which happened on the same night where Roger Clemens tied his own MLB record for striking out 20 batters in a game. When he returned in 1997, Garciaparra set the league on fire in his rookie season. He hit 30 home runs among his 209 base hits (a Red Sox rookie record), and drove in 98 runs, setting a new MLB record for RBIs by a leadoff hitter and most homers by a rookie shortstop. He also batted .306, and his 30-game hitting streak set an A.L. rookie record. Garciaparra also stole 22 bases, and his 11 triples led the league. He was named Rookie of the Year in a unanimous vote, competed in the Home Run Derby as well as his first MLB All-Star Game, finished eighth in MVP voting, and captured the Silver Slugger Award for AL Shortstop. He also won the immediate admiration of Red Sox fans, who referred to him in Boston accents as 'NO-mah!'.

Did You Know?

• Garciaparra is one of 13 players in MLB history to hit two grand slams during a single game.
• He had the highest single-season batting average by a right-handed batter in the post-war era, batting .372 in 2000.
• Garciaparra won the AL Batting Title in 1999 and 2000, the first right-handed batter to accomplish this in consecutive seasons since Joe DiMaggio.
• His 30-game hitting streak in 1997 set an A.L. rookie record.