That could be the case. According to the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser, Nomar Garciaparra is "widely expected to retire."
Slusser notes that while Garciaparra has not made any such announcement, the 36-year-old free agent has not been linked to any teams this season. He didn't garner tremendous interest last offseason, during which he eventually signed a one-year, $1 million deal with Oakland in early March.
If it is indeed the end of Garciaparra's career, it will be one that will be looked back upon with "what ifs."
What if the Red Sox never traded the face of their franchise in July of 2004? Would he still be a legend in Boston? Would the Red Sox have ever captured that elusive World Series title?
What if Nomar never suffered his injury problems? What once looked to be a surefire Hall of Fame career turned south rapidly, with the perennial All-Star becoming a journeyman in a matter of minutes, seemingly.
Yet no one will ever know the answers to those questions. They'll only know what did happen. Garciaparra left the Red Sox, played just 105 games for the Cubs in a season and a half, spent a few years in Los Angeles and finished up in Oakland for 65 games in 2009. A five-time All-Star at shortstop turned into a utility infielder, though he did make the 2006 NL team at first base — the same year he won NL Comeback Player of the Year honors.
The 1997 Rookie of the Year, who Ted Williams once said would be the next player to top .400, Garciaparra never got closer than his .372 average in 2000. After that, he hovered between .268 and .308. His power numbers fell greatly as well, as he averaged 24 homers and 95 RBIs per year in his seven full seasons in Boston and around nine home runs and 34 RBIs thereafter.
He finally got his return to Fenway Park last July, getting welcomed with a standing ovation, tipping his batting helmet to the crowd and offering his own applause to the fans in return. It was a memorable moment, and it could turn out to be the final one of his playing career.
