Nomar Garciaparra

Nomar Garciaparra is a retired professional athlete who played Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. Throughout his career he has played shortstop, first base and third base.

On March 10, 2010, Garciaparra signed a one-day contract with the Red Sox so that he could retire from being an active player with the team he spent the majority of his career with.http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=4981701

Anthony Nomar Garicaparra was born in Whittier, California, on July 23, 1973. He graduated from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower in 1991. He was originally drafted on June 3, 1991, by the Milwaukee Brewers, but he declined to sign and instead decided to attend college at Georgia Institute of Technology where he starred on the university's baseball team.

He was drafted again in the first round of the 1994 MLB draft, signing with the Boston Red Sox on July 20, 1994. He spent his first couple seasons with the Red Sox' minor league affiliates, before he was called up to make his MLB debut on August 31, 1996, playing 24 games with the Red Sox that year.MLB.com: Nomar Garciaparra

Garciaparra earned a full roster spot with the Red Sox in 1997, playing in 153 games, scoring 122 runs and finishing with a .306 batting average. He was selected for his first of six MLB All-Star Game appearances that year, as well as selected as the MLB Rookie of the year. Garciaparra also earned a Silver Slugger award at shortstop.

In 1998, Garciaparra played 143 games with the Red Sox. He hit .362 and drove in 122 runs batted in. He placed second in voting for the MLB Most Valuable Player Award. He also made his first post season appearance with the Red Sox in 1998, where they lost the American League Divisional Series to the Cleveland Indians.

Garciaparra continued with the Red Sox for the next several years, missing the majority of the 2001 season with a wrist injury. On July 31, 2004, he was sent to the Chicago Cubs as part of a four team trade. He completed the 2004 season and the 2005 season with the Cubs, then entered free agency at the end of the year.

On December 19, 2005, Garciaparra signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he was moved to first base. In 2006, he was awarded the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award, after recovering from oblique and knee injuries he suffered in 2005.

In 2007, Garciaparra moved positions yet again, this time to third base. In 2008, Garciaparra was limited to 55 games due to injuries and after the season was granted free agency. MLB.com: Nomar Garciaparra

• Mahalo's Guide to the Oakland Athletics
• ESPN.com: Career Stats
  • Height: 6-0
  • Weight: 190
  • Rookie Year: 1997