Nomar Who?
 

Orlando Cabrera just back after visiting his sick wife in Columbia hits a dramatic 12th Inning walk off Home run. As the late great Ned Martin used to say, "Mercy".

Re: Nomar Who?
 

I didn't know Ned Martin was dead. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Nomar Who?
 

Nomar who hit .372 and has a .323 lifetime batting average and scored 100 runs six times.

If they had been successful in getting rid of Ramirez, would you have said "Manny who?"

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Nomar Who?
 

Where Baltimore lost the game was when Mazilli had whats-his-name bunt with 1st and 2nd and nobody out in the top of the inning. Then they lost Javy Lopez's bat to the intentional walk and had a banjo hitter up there.

What was Bill Mueller trying to do with that ball that hit third base? He looked like he thought it might be kryptonite.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't know Ned Martin was dead. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Sadly, the Red Sox long time broadcaster passed away last year.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

[ QUOTE ]
What was Bill Mueller trying to do with that ball that hit third base? He looked like he thought it might be kryptonite.

[/ QUOTE ]

He was trying to not pull a "Bill Buckner". [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Nomar Who?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Nomar who hit .372

[/ QUOTE ]

I loved that guy, but he's not around anymore. He has never been the same since he hurt his wrist a few years ago, and since then he's had other injury problems--the achilles, hamstring, etc.

Several teams had Nomar rated as the worst defensive shortstop in baseball this season. Obviously injuries have a lot to do with that, but you can see how far he has fallen.

I hated the Nomar trade at the team--it didn't seem the Sox got anywhere near equivalent value--but Cabrera plays every game, is great defensively, contributes offensively and has a great attitude, something which was sorely lacking from Nomar this year. Both Nomar and Cabrera are free agents at the end of the season--it will be interesting to see who gets the bigger contract...

Re: Nomar Who?
 

you know when you look at the numbers, Nomar has been a little better offensively since the trade, but Cabrera has been a little better as well. I think the trade was pretty much a push for both teams, except Boston just doesn't have to deal with Nomar anymore. I did notice though that Mienkiewitz has been sucking since the trade.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think the trade was pretty much a push for both teams, except Boston just doesn't have to deal with Nomar anymore.

[/ QUOTE ]

I ripped it at the time, but the trade has been a spectacular success for the Red Sox. Their defense has improved tremendously (take a look at how many unearned runs they gave up before the trade, and how many after), and they have a shortstop who plays every day. On paper it looked bad, but the results speak for themselves. In this case, the intangible benefit of getting rid of a guy who was poisoning the lockerroom can not be overlooked.

[ QUOTE ]
I did notice though that Mienkiewitz has been sucking since the trade.

[/ QUOTE ]

That stats don't show his defensive contributions, which have been significant. The guys on the local sports radio show were even commenting today that it seems as if he makes a superb (not just good) defensive play almost every time he plays.

He'll never be an offensive force, but he's nice to have around when Lowe (who gets a ton of ground balls) is pitching, or as a defensive replacement.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I did notice though that Mienkiewitz has been sucking since the trade.

[/ QUOTE ]

Imo Mienkiewitz won the game for them last night with his defense. Made 2 sterling plays in the late innings.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

Good points, as usual.

One certainly can't argue with the success of the Red Sox since the trade. No doubt they would have turned it around somewhat without the trade, they were just playing too badly for too long, but certainly the team is fielding much better and hasn't missed Nomar's bat; they still lead the league in runs scored. The few games I saw him play I felt Nomar's fielding, adequate in any event, had indeed deteriorated.

I note that Torre let El Duque go deep into the 7th last night despite having thrown 106 pitches through 6. Almost like he was experimenting to see what El Duque had left in the tank (which was nothing). And no Quantrill or Gordon: Heredia and Sturtze. Heredia is a waste of time; I know you want one lefty in the pen, but he's worse than terrible.
The Yankees may feature a post-season roster without a left-handed pitcher. Sturtze has cojones, it seems.

BTW, the kid named League (great name) for Toronto has some amazing stuff. He was throwing 98 mph last night.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

[ QUOTE ]
In this case, the intangible benefit of getting rid of a guy who was poisoning the lockerroom can not be overlooked.

[/ QUOTE ] IMO, I think this is really the only thing that makes it a good trade for Boston. I agree, you can't really measure this, but it seems to have been a big help. I don't think though, that Nomar has been a "cancer" in Chicago.

[ QUOTE ]
He'll never be an offensive force, but he's nice to have around when Lowe (who gets a ton of ground balls) is pitching, or as a defensive replacement.

[/ QUOTE ] True... to bad too, because if he could hit... whew! who knows man. Boston should have gone after Olerud for this run.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Imo Mienkiewitz won the game for them last night with his defense. Made 2 sterling plays in the late innings.

[/ QUOTE ] You guys are a moneyball team, so you only win games with OBP and SLG, defense means nothing [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Nomar Who?
 

BTW, do you honestly think that the departure of Nomar is the only reason that the Red Sox are playing better? Or do you think it's the main reason why?

Re: Nomar Who?
 

Teams with money that aren't run by half-wits can't be 'Moneyball' teams.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

[ QUOTE ]
BTW, the kid named League (great name) for Toronto has some amazing stuff. He was throwing 98 mph last night.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hopefully, my good friend J.P. Ricciardi(Toronto GM) has some more good prospects down on the farm to turn that franchise around. We go way back as his father played shortstop for my father's State Champion fast pitch softball teams and we played together on several City league basketball and football teams. He's a great guy and has a tough job with a small market team.

P.S. I know. I'm a terrible name dropper.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

Nomar is hitting .280 with 2 doubles and 0 RBIs in the month of September. Ironically, this is, at least BA-wise, better than he performed last September.

Cabrera looks like he wants to play when he takes the field. Nomar looked like he was en route to gum surgery when he took the field this year. Curt Schilling has been pretty open about how much better the clubhouse has been since 7/31/04.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

Don't bother me; I'm trying to watch the Dodgers to see if they can give up all of their seven run lead in the fifth inning.

My poor dad. He's been a Dodger fan for 75 years. Tuesday he had angioplasty and today he had a pacemaker installed. I just left him at the hospital (he's OK, coming home tomorrow) with instructions for the nurse to not let him watch.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Don't bother me; I'm trying to watch the Dodgers to see if they can give up all of their seven run lead in the fifth inning.

My poor dad. He's been a Dodger fan for 75 years. Tuesday he had angioplasty and today he had a pacemaker installed. I just left him at the hospital (he's OK, coming home tomorrow) with instructions for the nurse to not let him watch.

[/ QUOTE ]

My father will be 85 in November which means he was born in 1919. I don't think I have to point out the significance of that date. He also doesn't have a great ticker, having had triple by-pass surgery when he was 56 and quadruple again when he was 79.

Hope he wasn't watching last night when Francoma brought in B.K. (bleeping) Kim in the 9th. [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

Re: Nomar Who?
 

My dad was born October 18, 1919. He says his favorte pitcher growing up was Walter "Boom-boom" Beck, who pitched for the Dodgers in 1933-34, so nicknamed because of the way the balls were hit off him. My dad says when there would be a runner on first base, Beck would turn his hat so that the brim was facing first base, so that the runner would think he was looking at him.

Re: Nomar Who?
 

My father was born in 1911 and died in 1982. He was a lifelong Yankee fan, thus he never experienced the frustrations you and Toro discuss.