So How Is Nomar Doing

[macuser1]

As we contemplate the memories of trades or players let go in days gone by, I offer the following:

 

Nomar provides game-winning sequel

05/07/2006 3:30 AM ET

By Ted Brock / Special to MLB.com

 

LOS ANGELES -- For the second straight evening, Nomar Garciaparra pushed a single down the right-field line to knock in the winning run in the ninth inning.

This time, the ball didn't hit first base. It skidded below the outstretched mitt of first baseman Prince Fielder, driving home Kenny Lofton from second and giving the Dodgers a 5-4 win over the Brewers on Saturday before 46,087 at Dodger Stadium.

 

The uncanny parallels between his team's back-to-back victories put a smile of relief on manager Grady Little's face.

 

"We'd just as soon get it over with before the ninth inning, but we'll take it," Little said.

 

Garciaparra's drive came off reliever Chris Demaria (0-1) after Lofton's one-out double.

 

"I just went with the pitch, and it found a hole," Garciaparra said. "The big thing the last two nights was guys getting to second. Kenny's double was huge. I think that was the big thing, not just the final result."

[Diffusion]

Nomar's hitting .306/.386/.571. Would look awfully good in RF. Or 1B with Lee out. But no, the Cubs gave him and his hometown discount the hard shoulder.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

Nomar's hitting .306/.386/.571. Would look awfully good in RF. Or 1B with Lee out. But no, the Cubs gave him and his hometown discount the hard shoulder.

 

Hindsight is 20-20. Most people didn't want to risk $5MM-$6MM on such an injury-prone player. No one doubts Nomar's ability when healthy.

 

It is ironic though that the players the Cubs (wisely, IMO) don't take a chance on because of injury risk stay healthy and are productive (Alou, Nomar), while the guys we decide to keep despite injury risk are hurt yet again (Wood, Prior).

 

And then we spent that Nomar money on Jones and Pierre, egads.....

[CDBears1259]

Inevitably, had the Cubs decided to keep Nomar, he would have wound up injured. You know the whole "Murphy's Law" thing!

[macuser1]

Nomar's hitting .306/.386/.571. Would look awfully good in RF. Or 1B with Lee out. But no, the Cubs gave him and his hometown discount the hard shoulder.

 

Hindsight is 20-20. Most people didn't want to risk $5MM-$6MM on such an injury-prone player. No one doubts Nomar's ability when healthy.

 

It is ironic though that the players the Cubs (wisely, IMO) don't take a chance on because of injury risk stay healthy and are productive (Alou, Nomar), while the guys we decide to keep despite injury risk are hurt yet again (Wood, Prior).

 

And then we spent that Nomar money on Jones and Pierre, egads.....

 

I completely agree about the hindsight 20/20 thing. I'll also admit that it is hard to make predictions sometimes; my own track record isn't very good. What gets me is that the judgements made by the Cubs organization turn out to be wrong as often as they do.; and those guys get paid a lot more than I receive.

[macuser1]

Inevitably, had the Cubs decided to keep Nomar, he would have wound up injured. You know the whole "Murphy's Law" thing!

 

Perhaps. During a down time for Cubs fans, this is certainly going to seem to be true. has it been though? I mean would there be any way to tell how often Murphy's Law seems to have applied in the last ten years (or five)?

[bobbyd20]

Nomar at 5 million for one year in RF was, is and always will be a better option that Jacque Jones for 3 years at $15 million.

[USSoccer]

Nomar at 5 million for one year in RF was, is and always will be a better option that Jacque Jones for 3 years at $15 million.

 

At the time Nomar was coming off 2 season where he played in about half the games on average for us. He wasn'ta sound signing, even at $5m. Neither was Jones, but I can't knock Hendry for not wanting to bring back an oft injured player, even at a "discount" of $5m.

 

I can knock Hendry for signing Jones for 3 years.

[Diffusion]

Nomar's hitting .306/.386/.571. Would look awfully good in RF. Or 1B with Lee out. But no, the Cubs gave him and his hometown discount the hard shoulder.

 

Hindsight is 20-20.

 

I completely agree about the hindsight 20/20 thing.

 

Except it's not hindsight at all, it's foresight. I was arguing for re-signing Nomar last October/November (with a view to play him in right field), and it's still my opinion that we should have done exactly that, and at no stage between then and now has it not been my opinion that that's exactly what we should have done.

[Guest]

Nomar's hitting .306/.386/.571. Would look awfully good in RF. Or 1B with Lee out. But no, the Cubs gave him and his hometown discount the hard shoulder.

 

Hindsight is 20-20. Most people didn't want to risk $5MM-$6MM on such an injury-prone player. No one doubts Nomar's ability when healthy.

Hey, some of us advocated retaining Nomar during the offseason. That ain't hindsight. :)

[srbin84]

Nomar at 5 million for one year in RF was, is and always will be a better option that Jacque Jones for 3 years at $15 million.

 

I don't like the Jones deal, but they would have been paying 5 million to watch Pagan and Mabry play RF most of the year because Nomar gets hurt too much.

[BigbadB]

[Shavo]

Nomar's hitting .306/.386/.571. Would look awfully good in RF. Or 1B with Lee out. But no, the Cubs gave him and his hometown discount the hard shoulder.

 

Hindsight is 20-20. Most people didn't want to risk $5MM-$6MM on such an injury-prone player. No one doubts Nomar's ability when healthy.

Hey, some of us advocated retaining Nomar during the offseason. That ain't hindsight. :)

 

I wanted Nomah back, but I would have been po'ed at the start of the year when he was on the DL.

[Backtobanks]

Let's remember that Nomar has already been on the DL once this year and we have a long way to go. As for Nomar in RF, the pitchers would be having fits when every single to CF or RF turned into a double when the throws take 15 bounces into 2B.

[BigbadB]

Let's remember that Nomar has already been on the DL once this year and we have a long way to go. As for Nomar in RF, the pitchers would be having fits when every single to CF or RF turned into a double when the throws take 15 bounces into 2B.

 

As if the ball isn't bouncing 15 times with the guys we have now?

[NCCubFan]

It is ironic though that the players the Cubs (wisely, IMO) don't take a chance on because of injury risk stay healthy and are productive (Alou, Nomar), while the guys we decide to keep despite injury risk are hurt yet again (Wood, Prior).

Actually, that's not at all true. Nomar had a stint on the 15-day DL earlier this year, and Alou just went on the DL yesterday with a sprained ankle.

[Mark Priors Calves]

Let's remember that Nomar has already been on the DL once this year and we have a long way to go. As for Nomar in RF, the pitchers would be having fits when every single to CF or RF turned into a double when the throws take 15 bounces into 2B.

 

I was always impressed with the arm that Nomar displayed from SS to 1B. Granted, a throw from the OF is different, I think Garciaparra would have at least an adequate arm in RF.

[Diffusion]

What?! Did I hear that right?! Did someone mock Nomar Garciaparra's arm strength?!

 

The guy has an absolute cannon for an arm. The problem has always been that because of the low arm slot he throws from, he too often fails to be accurate enough with throws. Maybe you want to argue that he'll miss cutoff men with wild innaccurate throws, but don't question how hard the guy can throw a baseball.

[Mizzou]

Add me to the list of people that wanted Nomar to be in Chicago this year.

[abuck1220]

Let's remember that Nomar has already been on the DL once this year and we have a long way to go. As for Nomar in RF, the pitchers would be having fits when every single to CF or RF turned into a double when the throws take 15 bounces into 2B.

 

As if the ball isn't bouncing 15 times with the guys we have now?

 

seriously. jones has rolled four or five throws into the infield. must have caught something from pierre.

 

nomar in rf (if he could handle it physically) would be better than jones, regardless of whether he's an injury risk. if he gets hurt, then you throw pie, mabry, hairston, or even patterson out there and you'll likely match jones' "production." even if you only get two months of nomar, two months of nomar + mabry/pie/whoever > an entire season of jones...especially when you consider the albatross of a contract they gave jacque.

[SouthSideRyan]

I too wanted Nomar back, but full disclosure wanted him here as a SS.

[srbin84]

Let's remember that Nomar has already been on the DL once this year and we have a long way to go. As for Nomar in RF, the pitchers would be having fits when every single to CF or RF turned into a double when the throws take 15 bounces into 2B.

 

As if the ball isn't bouncing 15 times with the guys we have now?

 

seriously. jones has rolled four or five throws into the infield. must have caught something from pierre.

 

nomar in rf (if he could handle it physically) would be better than jones, regardless of whether he's an injury risk. if he gets hurt, then you throw pie, mabry, hairston, or even patterson out there and you'll likely match jones' "production." even if you only get two months of nomar, two months of nomar + mabry/pie/whoever > an entire season of jones...especially when you consider the albatross of a contract they gave jacque.

 

Maybe. Obviously Hendry assumed Jones would at least match the last few years production. Those numbers aren't great, but who knows for sure what 4 months of forcing bench players to start would do to the overall production. We all saw the Lenny Harris situation and others like it. Right now, def. doing the Nomar+reserves seems like it would have been the better plan; but realistically, nobody could have predicted Jones to be this bad.

[abuck1220]

but realistically, nobody could have predicted Jones to be this bad.

 

i don't know if that's the case. his 2006 numbers aren't that far off his 2005 numbers. factor in that he's coming to a new league and has the security of a three year deal, and his 2006 numbers really aren't that surprising.

[CuseCubFan69]

Nomar's gone and it's time to move on IMO. Hendry has to improve this team and what's done is done.

[srbin84]

but realistically, nobody could have predicted Jones to be this bad.

 

i don't know if that's the case. his 2006 numbers aren't that far off his 2005 numbers. factor in that he's coming to a new league and has the security of a three year deal, and his 2006 numbers really aren't that surprising.

 

Well, if he continues with these numbers, he'll be the next Todd Hundley by the allstar break.