redsoxman
12-08-2003, 04:58 PM
http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/redSox.bg?articleid=387
Nomar Garciaparra is still on his honeymoon, ironically enough, but even he seems to know he may be headed for a breakup.
And he's not entirely sure why.
``Basically, what I'd like to say is that I know there's always been this speculation that I'm unhappy there (in Boston). I've heard it and read it -- that I want to go home (to California) and I'm unhappy -- and I don't know where that comes from,'' Garciaparra said by phone yesterday, slightly more than two weeks after being wed to women's soccer star Mia Hamm.
``No words have ever come out of my mouth -- publicly or privately -- that I don't want to be there,'' Garciaparra said. ``I also believe that my actions have shown I don't want out of there. I go out there and play hard and give it my all, day in and day out, not just on the field, but off. I have a (charitable) foundation there. I'm coming back in January to do my 10th hitting camp, I think.
``Before we got married, my wife and I purchased a new home (in the Boston area),'' Garciaparra concluded. ``If you look at all that, I wouldn't do all that stuff if I wanted to leave.''
These are indeed strange times for Garciaparra, whose Red Sox [stats, schedule] career appears destined to close just as his new life away from baseball has officially begun. Six years after unanimously winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award, Garciaparra has only one year remaining on a seven-year, $45.25 million contract. Coupled with the unhappiness of Manny Ramirez [stats, news], that reality has led the Red Sox to aggressively pursue a trade that would send Ramirez to the Texas Rangers and bring all-world shortstop Alex Rodriguez to Boston.
Garciaparra yesterday politely declined to comment on his relationship with Rodriguez -- ``I really can't comment on him or what's going on there,'' he said -- and he expressed no anger or ill will toward Red Sox ownership or management, with whom, he said, he has a good relationship. Yet the reality exists that Garciaparra is gone if and when Rodriguez arrives, and informed baseball sources made it clear over the weekend that the Red Sox and Rangers are doing everything possible to complete the trade involving the only two $20 million-a-year players in baseball history.
While completion of the deal might eventually involve the restructuring of contracts for one or both primary talents in the deal, Garciaparra's future is now far less certain. Garciaparra is due $11.5 million next year and acknowledged that he and agent Arn Tellem rejected the Red Sox proposal on a contract extension before the 2003 season, but Garciaparra said that at no point has he given up hope that a deal could be struck.
Garciaparra said there have been discussions between Tellem and club officials this offseason, but offered no specifics regarding those talks. Two weeks ago, Tellem indicated that he believed a deal could be reached if the Sox were committed to re-signing Garciaparra.
To date, Garciaparra has undoubtedly been seeking a deal that would place him closer to someone like Rodriguez (a $25.2 million annual average) or New York Yankees [stats, schedule] shortstop Derek Jeter [stats, news] ($18.9 million), but the market has changed considerably since then. Current free agent shortstop Miguel Tejada [stats, news], for instance, will likely end up with up with less than $10 million in the current market.
``My heart and my first option have always been (with Boston) and it hasn't strayed from that,'' Garciaparra said. ``The ball's really in (upper management's) court. But if there is any question about my unhappiness, that's been answered.''
While the Los Angeles Dodgers and Anaheim Angels are obvious candidates for Garciaparra's services given the player's native roots in Southern California, Garciaparra's contract with the Sox does call for an interesting provision if the player is traded. One of them would require the Sox to pay Garciaparra the appraised value of his Boston-area home if he is unable to sell the property within six months; and if Garciaparra were to sell his home at a loss, the Sox would be required to make up the difference.
Garciaparra also confirmed reports that he and Hamm have a home in Texas, but Garciaparra laughed at speculation that the home meant he has any desire to play for either the Rangers or Houston Astros.
``I wish the person who wrote that would get a map of Texas,'' said Garciaparra, whose new home is in the Austin area. ``It would be like someone saying now that I want to play in New York -- that's how far I live from any team in Texas right now.''
Often criticized in Boston for a reluctance to deal with the media and be the charismatic spokesperson the club could more easily and more effectively market, Garciaparra acknowledged he doesn't ``make life easy for (the media) and I admit it.'' But he believes he has accommodated Sox officials when asked to represent the team and said he has never done anything to disgrace the Red Sox.
During his Sox career, Garciaparra has batted .323 with 1,231 hits and 173 home runs. In addition to his Rookie of the Year honor (1997), he has won two batting titles (1999 and 2000) and finished as high as second in the AL Most Valuable Player Award balloting (1998).
``I think I'm kind of like the fans are. If you were a fan looking at this, you might think, `Are they really considering this option?' '' Garciaparra said when asked if he would be disappointed at being traded.
``I've always respected the uniform that I've worn. It's been the only uniform I know and it's the only uniform I want to know for my entire career,'' Garciaparra said. ``That's basically how I feel.''
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Red Sox better give him a contract. I say forget A-Rod and the sign the man who really wants to be here. I'll never forgive the current Red Sox managament if they let this guy go. :angry:
Nomar Garciaparra is still on his honeymoon, ironically enough, but even he seems to know he may be headed for a breakup.
And he's not entirely sure why.
``Basically, what I'd like to say is that I know there's always been this speculation that I'm unhappy there (in Boston). I've heard it and read it -- that I want to go home (to California) and I'm unhappy -- and I don't know where that comes from,'' Garciaparra said by phone yesterday, slightly more than two weeks after being wed to women's soccer star Mia Hamm.
``No words have ever come out of my mouth -- publicly or privately -- that I don't want to be there,'' Garciaparra said. ``I also believe that my actions have shown I don't want out of there. I go out there and play hard and give it my all, day in and day out, not just on the field, but off. I have a (charitable) foundation there. I'm coming back in January to do my 10th hitting camp, I think.
``Before we got married, my wife and I purchased a new home (in the Boston area),'' Garciaparra concluded. ``If you look at all that, I wouldn't do all that stuff if I wanted to leave.''
These are indeed strange times for Garciaparra, whose Red Sox [stats, schedule] career appears destined to close just as his new life away from baseball has officially begun. Six years after unanimously winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award, Garciaparra has only one year remaining on a seven-year, $45.25 million contract. Coupled with the unhappiness of Manny Ramirez [stats, news], that reality has led the Red Sox to aggressively pursue a trade that would send Ramirez to the Texas Rangers and bring all-world shortstop Alex Rodriguez to Boston.
Garciaparra yesterday politely declined to comment on his relationship with Rodriguez -- ``I really can't comment on him or what's going on there,'' he said -- and he expressed no anger or ill will toward Red Sox ownership or management, with whom, he said, he has a good relationship. Yet the reality exists that Garciaparra is gone if and when Rodriguez arrives, and informed baseball sources made it clear over the weekend that the Red Sox and Rangers are doing everything possible to complete the trade involving the only two $20 million-a-year players in baseball history.
While completion of the deal might eventually involve the restructuring of contracts for one or both primary talents in the deal, Garciaparra's future is now far less certain. Garciaparra is due $11.5 million next year and acknowledged that he and agent Arn Tellem rejected the Red Sox proposal on a contract extension before the 2003 season, but Garciaparra said that at no point has he given up hope that a deal could be struck.
Garciaparra said there have been discussions between Tellem and club officials this offseason, but offered no specifics regarding those talks. Two weeks ago, Tellem indicated that he believed a deal could be reached if the Sox were committed to re-signing Garciaparra.
To date, Garciaparra has undoubtedly been seeking a deal that would place him closer to someone like Rodriguez (a $25.2 million annual average) or New York Yankees [stats, schedule] shortstop Derek Jeter [stats, news] ($18.9 million), but the market has changed considerably since then. Current free agent shortstop Miguel Tejada [stats, news], for instance, will likely end up with up with less than $10 million in the current market.
``My heart and my first option have always been (with Boston) and it hasn't strayed from that,'' Garciaparra said. ``The ball's really in (upper management's) court. But if there is any question about my unhappiness, that's been answered.''
While the Los Angeles Dodgers and Anaheim Angels are obvious candidates for Garciaparra's services given the player's native roots in Southern California, Garciaparra's contract with the Sox does call for an interesting provision if the player is traded. One of them would require the Sox to pay Garciaparra the appraised value of his Boston-area home if he is unable to sell the property within six months; and if Garciaparra were to sell his home at a loss, the Sox would be required to make up the difference.
Garciaparra also confirmed reports that he and Hamm have a home in Texas, but Garciaparra laughed at speculation that the home meant he has any desire to play for either the Rangers or Houston Astros.
``I wish the person who wrote that would get a map of Texas,'' said Garciaparra, whose new home is in the Austin area. ``It would be like someone saying now that I want to play in New York -- that's how far I live from any team in Texas right now.''
Often criticized in Boston for a reluctance to deal with the media and be the charismatic spokesperson the club could more easily and more effectively market, Garciaparra acknowledged he doesn't ``make life easy for (the media) and I admit it.'' But he believes he has accommodated Sox officials when asked to represent the team and said he has never done anything to disgrace the Red Sox.
During his Sox career, Garciaparra has batted .323 with 1,231 hits and 173 home runs. In addition to his Rookie of the Year honor (1997), he has won two batting titles (1999 and 2000) and finished as high as second in the AL Most Valuable Player Award balloting (1998).
``I think I'm kind of like the fans are. If you were a fan looking at this, you might think, `Are they really considering this option?' '' Garciaparra said when asked if he would be disappointed at being traded.
``I've always respected the uniform that I've worn. It's been the only uniform I know and it's the only uniform I want to know for my entire career,'' Garciaparra said. ``That's basically how I feel.''
---------------
Red Sox better give him a contract. I say forget A-Rod and the sign the man who really wants to be here. I'll never forgive the current Red Sox managament if they let this guy go. :angry: