There was a time when Nomar Garciaparra owned the city of Boston. The “Nomah" chants rocked Fenway, and he was, at one point, one of the most well-known baseball players around in the game.
Playing at Shortstop, Garciaparra debuted in 1996 for 22 Games, which was not enough to exceed rookie limits, but more than enough to turn heads and win him the starting job the next year. We mention this because Nomar would win the Rookie of the Year in 1997, and the hearts of Boston. It would be his first of six All-Star Games, and first of four consecutive .300 Seasons. The Californian would win the Batting Title in 1999 and 2000 with seasons of .357 and .372, respectively. The Red Sox couldn't best their division rivals (New York), but the AL East's big star was Garciaparra.
A wrist injury sidelined him for most of the 2001 season, and it is believed to have been the catalyst for turning his career around for the worse. He still batted over .300 in 2002 and 2003, but he wasn't the same. Injuries piled up, and he would continue to play for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Oakland Athletics.
The magic may not have returned, but he did have the magic. Not many players can say that.
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