| Nomar's presence brings out fans EDITOR'S NOTE: This is another in a series of first-person accounts that the Pawtucket Red Sox' Jim Chamblee will write for the Providence Journal and its Web site, www.projo.com. Chamblee's diaries will run each Wednesday during the baseball season. This week we were fortunate enough to have a two-time batting champion play on our team for a few days. Yes, Nomar (Garciaparra) made the trip to Indianapolis. Even though he didn't actually travel with us, he met us there for the four-game series. It is the first time we have ever had a crowd that came in to watch batting practice. There were cameras and reporters and the whole works. Until you spend a little time around Nomar, you really don't realize how big he is in the eyes of the fans. I mean, I always knew that he was popular, but until you see fans come out of the woodwork just to catch a glimpse of him, or maybe (if they are lucky) get an autograph, it's impossible to know what they think of him. It just so happened that his locker was right next to mine, too. I have known Nomar for several years now, and he is a very down-to-earth, personable guy. You wouldn't know that he is an all-star shortstop in the major leagues unless somebody told you. What I mean by that is he is very humble and makes an effort to talk to all the players. It was nice having him around the clubhouse for a few days. We had our first sweep of the season, as well, when Nomar was with us. He played three games at short, and one game he was the designated hitter. He stepped in for his first at-bat of the season and found himself in an 0-2 count. The next pitch was a curveball inside that hit him in the ribs. Nice welcome back, huh? I was pretty sure his wrist was fine when, in one game, he had three hits, one a homer. I think in four games he was like 8-for-14. Our last game of the road trip was last night in Louisville. They have a brand-new park right downtown that was built last year. Jared Fernandez was set to pitch against us. Many of you know him because he was an all-star pitcher with the PawSox last season. He is doing pretty well for the RiverBats this season. One last note: If any of you have been wondering about Nate Tebbs, he was traded to the Braves last week. He is playing Triple-A for Richmond now. I am not sure how he is hitting, but I think he is getting a chance to play every day, which is great. Until next week, take care. Jim Chamblee is a second baseman in his third season with the Pawtucket Red Sox. A native of Denton, Texas, he has been in the Sox' system since 1995. |
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