Each was a throwback gritty player whose exceptional skills made them seem destined for the Hall of Fame. But each saw his expectations grounded by injury before whining and moping their way out of Boston and Philly, where they should have been franchise legends.
Until they were traded, they provided Christine and me with lots of fodder for debate, which continues today. Tonight, when I asked Christine if she had any final words for Nomar, she made a reference to steroids and then ended with "Scotty's better."
Today, Nomar rejoined the Red Sox for a day to retire in the organization he started with. It was fitting to put a happy ending on a fairy tale career that went sour in 2004:
"This is where I started, this is where the dream to play baseball in the big league started here, with the Red Sox," he said. "Once I got to play in front of all these fans, and the way this city and all these fans embraced me, I mean, I always just felt that connection. Like I said, for me, I always said I truly wanted this to be the last uniform I ever put on. And today, I get to do that. And that's why it's so important to me."
I summed up my feelings on Nomar when talking about his old shirt. Coincidentally, I retired it last month, and now it's no longer antiquated. I know today was a just a gesture, but it is nice that I won't have to remember Nomar as a moper or suspected roider, but as the guy who was the Red Sox in the late '90s and early '00s.
I'll never forget him in the 1998 ALDS trying to rally the crowd and avert the inevitable loss to the Indians. I want to remember that fighting spirit, not the guy who sulked on the bench during the extra-inning game against the Yankees in 2004 as Derek Jeter crashed into the stands.
Tony Massarotti has a pretty good eulogy on Nomar's career, appropriately starting out with a quote from former Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan: "They love you at the beginning and they love you at the end. It’s the middle that’s tough."
That pretty much sums it up. Now we just need Scotty to sign a one-day deal with the Phillies before he retires. Yeah, I know, no chance of that.
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