The Curse of Nomar Garciaparra

The Curse of Nomar looms large over Boston Red Sox shortstops. (SawxBlog Illustration - D.Hixon)

There's a very close correlation between the Red Sox fan who stays up for an entire West Coast game, and that of a chain smoker who chokes down cigarettes in the cold dead of a breathy winter day. Both are hopelessly addicted to something seemingly beyond them, and both are sadly doomed to their own pre-destined fate. Thus were the grim forces behind the feelings of despair swarming around me as inning and minute ticked past the scorecard and clock. This game was over before it began, and Nomar Garciaparra made sure of that.

The minute I heard Jed Lowrie was on his way to the DL I saw sinister visions of Nomar juggling a soccer ball on a beach near dawn, chuckling softly to himself, with a devious glint in his eye, and Mia in the background cooing away. That bastard, him and his damn curse have laid a stain upon the shortstop position for Boston, and all men who've manned the position since he left seem to leave beaten, down trodden, and with a tail between their legs.

From Orlando, to Edgar, to Julio, to Jed, all have failed in folowing up a man who was destined to be an institution in Boston, but ended up just being malignant. And now there's some cheek-boned journeyman named Nick Green who's supposed to roam the grounds a Demigod named Nomah once called home. Strange times indeed, and certainly these are situations Bill James hasn't quite yet computed out. No permutation for this.

Is it a coincidence that I'm drinking a beer called "La Fin Du Monde" right now? Can we not bail this water out of the good ship Red Sox? It's certainly getting harder to ignore the downward spiral my baseball hopes are heading down, as the lonesome low part within' me soothingly whispers;

"Hope is near. Spring is eternal. It’s only April.”

We'll see, and we have been able to win it all twice now without Nomah, and losing him was certainly the ultimate catalyst to the Sox winning in '04. We just can't expect the SS position to be a very productive one anymore, for now or the near future to come, for there's a spell cast upon the position. And as everyone knows, Boston loves a good curse.

Comments

[Flex]

Nicely written my friend. It seems the Sox have come down to earth... Then again it is very early and I no longer expect this franchise to so by idly and fold if this continues through the early season. I will say this... Casting all bias aside(and two disgusting outings by Wang) the Yankees seem to have a chemistry that has lacked. If Burnett pitches like this all season and there are no major injuries(both big ifs) I don't see you guys being one of the two from the AL East making the playoffs. not currently constructed. I think we can agree OrtiZ is not the same player since the list. Ha jk. And from the games I've watched ur team seems to have thefeeling of the Yankees clubs of years past. Used to winning lacking chemistry and desire and timly hitting. I want to wish you luck but no dice-k my friend. But as I said earlier it's very very early.

Erik front man of the Nick Swisher fan club ( I see now what Boston fans liked out of their "idiots". He's def got that spirit )

[Flex]

ps. That headhunting by Beckett was disgraceful. Especially after what that team was going through. He seems like a real unlikable character. I mean that in a non baseball sense.

[Derek Hixon]

EJ, it's definetly still way early, and the ups adn downs are what make a baseball season truly worth it, but this does feel a little different. We'll see, adn in reality I can have no qualms with the last decade. But I am human, and therefore just a touch greedy ;-) so we'll see.

As far as Beckett, too bad it happened, I think he meant to have it as close as he did. Either way, I love the guy, and am glad he's on our side. He's just one of those guys. Like a Harrison or Shockey.

[Erik]

The lst decade has been a failure only to a team like the Yankees. I mean... 2000 - WS, 01 missed their 4th straight by an out, 2002, playoffs, 2003 - we know what happened there and then a loss in the WS, 04... crushing!.... and so on and so forth until this year.
Here is my assessment on what I see. Our bullpen is HORRID. Good game today. CC had a "bend but not break" performance... which is unlike Yankees starters of the last few years. And then Veras and Marte give up 9 freaking ER's and 1 inning to spoil an opening win. Sucks. Good for you guys though ;) If we dont correct our bullpen, by inserting Joba back into the Set up role... were not winning anything. I'm calling it. I know you can relate to bullpen woes... I mean dude forget sides... or teams we root for... but is there ANYTHING more frustrating than relief pitchers not being able to throw strikes? it just makes you think about what it would be like for you or I to go into a job to finsh up what a professional has done... and we just absolutely FAIL... yet keep getting called back in, all the while getting paid millions. SAD.
With that being said... I look fwd to tomorrow. The stadium is kind of breathtaking. As much as you guys love Fenway... I'm telling you when they eventually build a new ballpark... we both know they will do the same things the Yankees did in keep all the tradition alive and the dimensions the same... it will be completely mind blowing, as is the New Yankee stadium. While I haven't been to the New Ball park in person... I can say right now... I don't miss it.
And as much as I hate A-Roid... were def missing him in the lineup. And what the hump is with Ortiz dude? I think he's on his way out. I think everyone should hop back on the HGH train ;) haha I love baseball.

[David London]

I think there may be something to this Nomah thing. At least at the SS position. Its now 2010 and I was just thinking there was a curse watching Scatuto or whatever they call this new guy strike out!!