Boston Red Sox Nation: August 01, 2004

You Can Handle the Truth!

Dirt Dog: You want answers?

Fanboy: I think I'm entitled to them.

Dirt Dog: You want answers?

Fanboy: I want the truth!

Dirt Dog: You can't handle the truth!

Son, we live in a Nation that has thin walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with big mouths. Who's gonna say it? You? You, Mr. Nomah's Better? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom.

You weep for Nomie and you curse the Media. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Nomar's death in Boston, while tragic, probably saved the team.

And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves players...You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that website. You need me on that website.

We use words like honor, code, loyalty...we use these words as the backbone to a life spent banging on this keyboard. You use 'em as a SoSH signature line.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a fan who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very truth I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I'd rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a ticket in standing room only. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!

Fanboy: Did Nomar break the code Red Sox?

Dirt Dog: (quietly) He said the things we told you he said.

Fanboy: Did Nomar break the code Red Sox?

Dirt Dog: You're goddamn right he did!!

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The Truth from Theo Hurts More Than Nomar's Lies

8.2.04: Red Sox GM Theo Epstein on WEEI with Dennis & Callahan: "The way we were thinking about Nomar is, well, what do we have the next two months? We reached the conclusion, given what we know from prior negotiations that we weren’t going to sign him, that it had stopped being a consideration, we were looking forward to the next two months and said ‘well, what do we have here?’ We have a situation where we’re likely to have Nomar Garciaparra and Ricky Gutierrez playing short and we don’t think that’s going to be enough, we haven’t been playing well, and Nomar’s likely to play less over the next month than he’s played the last month, so what are we trading here? "In the end it was a straight baseball decision given the rather difficult situation we were in. (John Dennis: Theo, would you have been less likely to make that trade had Nomar told the trainers last Thursday, and by extension you and the rest of the organization that ‘the Achilles is fine, I’m 100%, I don’t think I’ll be taking any days off between now and the end of the baseball season?) Oh absolutely, that was the major impetus for the trade. It made a trade necessary, and difficult. We had to look at it from two standpoints. One, what if we don’t do anything? If we don’t do anything, then it’s Nomar, who says it’s really hurting, says he’s going to need significant time off, perhaps the DL in August, in order to finish the year healthy, so then it’s a significant amount of Ricky Gutierrez at short, and Nomar playing when he can. Or, if we do move him, now all of a sudden we have to tell the team that we’re talking to that this player is telling us that he feels like it’s going to blow out if it keeps playing the field. So, instead of being able to negotiate, we have to keep them that ‘make sure you know what you’re getting here, make sure you know this player’s going on the DL, because the only way we can make a trade with a player who is saying things to us that he was saying, was if we went out of our way to make sure the other team went in with eyes wide open. So not only did the health situation as reported by Nomar to us make it, in our mind, necessary to make a trade, but it made it much more difficult for obvious reasons... if that’s the case (that the Cubs were told that Nomar really wasn’t about to head on the DL) and that’s really what they believe, that’s odd, but, I won’t make any accusations of course, but perhaps they’re in a better position to take that gamble, with their depth in the middle infield, perhaps they can make the gamble a little bit more, I don’t know.

"We do shoulder some blame in what basically became a doomed marriage, but I don't think he handled it very well this year, he wasn't quite the same guy in the clubhouse, he wasn't really a positive force in there. (Gerry: Do you think his unhappiness, his state of mind affected the team?) Umm, Yes... Was it different this year and did his teammates notice that? Yeah, that's probably the reality of this year."

"Let's be honest, there are two months to go, and we're in an absolute dogfight for the wildcard. We're in an absolute dogfight just to get into the post-season... it's going to be an absolute dogfight and this is a year in which just about everything has gone wrong, and we need every single person associated with the organization needs to fight and scrap and find a way to have a really good two months, and not just 30 wins the rest of the way, 'cause that's not going to get it done, but to have a really good two months and salvage this season, and get into the post-season. And once the post-season starts, I really like this team, but we gotta scrap and fight and find a way to get in. That's a large part of what this trade was about, because the safe thing to do, for a lot of people, and the safe thing for the organization, was to probably not make a trade here and just say 'oh well, we're not sure how much we're gonna have Nomar but this team looks good on paper, let's just see how things go the rest of the way,' you know that would have been the safe thing for my career too, but I don't think we could have lived with that, because if we don't do anything and then Nomar goes on the DL and it's 30 games with Nomar the rest of the way, and 30 of Ricky Gutierrez, and we don't get in... I couldn't have lived with that. So instead, we do something that's not ideal (couldn't get the pitching he wanted), but I think we do something that we felt, gives us a better chance to salvage this season in a year where just about everything has gone wrong, including Nomar being largely unavailable the rest of the way."

8.2.04: Listen to Red Sox GM Theo Epstein's call into WEEI's Dennis & Callahan

Gerry Callahan: "Nomar Takes Phony Express Out of Town"

Boston Herald 8.2.04: "I called him in his hotel room just to wish him luck and thank him for all he did for the franchise," Sox CEO Larry Lucchino said last night. "Then I asked him, 'How's the heel?' He said, 'It's great.'" "(I said,) 'Great? How can it be great? Two days ago, you thought you were going to have to go on the DL.' He said, 'Yeah, well, it's great now.'"

Gordon Edes Must be in on the "Conspiracy" Too

Boston Globe 8.2.04: Yesterday, Garciaparra evaded answering questions about those assertions directly. At first, he said he could not respond because he did not know what the team had said. He then said that what was said was between him and the trainers, then emphasized that to date he only had missed a game or two at a time since coming off the DL.

Silverado is Obviously on the Take as Well

Boston Herald 8.2.04: According to club sources, Garciaparra informed the team's medical staff that the continuing discomfort in his Achilles tendon would probably require a stint on the disabled list sometime in the final two months of the season. Sox sources even alleged that Garciaparra said that he wanted to make sure he was healthy at the end of the season, when he would have to take a November physical as part of the free agent process.

Even Chris Collins Can't Cover for Him Now

Chris Collins, NECN on WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan -- "He didn’t want to talk to Lucchino, they don’t have a good relationship… he said ‘how’s your Achilles’ heel doing?’ and he says "it’s fine." According to Nomar, he said “if we don’t take of my Achilles’ tendon, which means give it the proper rest, and take days off when we need to take days off… down the road, this whole thing is going to blow up, and we’re going to end up taking days off, and we’re going to end up on the DL." He said he had an MRI done a few days ago, and there was swelling. Him and the trainers have always been in agreement with his injury... there's a strong dislike between Nomar and Larry Lucchino, I think they lied to him quite a bit... I know he was told on several occasions that there absolutely, unequivocally wasn't going to be a trade."

Is a Respected Chicago Writer on Lucchino's Payroll Too?

Chicago Tribune’s Tom Sherer on WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan -- "The Cubs heard from Arn Tellem and a baseball person who was tight with Tellem, I’m going to guess it’s Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the White Sox who actually has a very good relationship with Tellem, who was assured that Tellem was not conning anybody. The basic bottom line is the Cubs were very satisfied that Garciaparra will be ‘extremely available,’ they may have to rest him every now and then, they have no problem with that, they rest guys all the time… they didn’t have the concerns physically for Nomar that the Red Sox had. They have no doubt that he’ll give 100% here. (Gerry Callahan: Really, it can’t be both... if he gives 100% and doesn’t go on the DL for the Cubs, then he was tanking it for the Red Sox) I know, well that’s my conclusion frankly. If he doesn’t miss a substantial number of games, then yes, I believe so. The conditions that existed in Boston, do not exist here."

Gerry Callahan: "He's (Nomar's) a complete disgrace, he's a fraud, he's a phony."

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NEW CUBS POUT

LET THE ORLANDO CABRERA BEGIN!
Cabby Hits Home Run in First At-Bat!
(Nomaaaahhh's Better Off Elsewhere, Stop Crying)

Survey: Knowing what you know now, does this trade help or hurt the Boston Red Sox chances of winning a World Series?

ACHILLES' HEEL: "IT'S FINE NOW"

Perfectly Healthy Nomar Tried to Tank Red Sox Chances at World Series, Kicking Our Grandfathers in the Teeth by Threatening to Put Himself on the Disabled List This Month

Lying Boston Backstabber Will Wear #8 and Bat Second for Chicago Today as He's Suddenly Able to Play. Remaining Nomar Lemmings Wait to See if He Goes on DL for the Cubs When They'll Have No One Left to Blame But the Guilty Garciaparra

Multiple sources have confirmed to Boston Dirt Dogs Bob Lobel's breaking news report that former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra went to see Red Sox trainers Jim Rowe and Chris Correnti four days ago and informed them that his tendonitis "was bothering him" and he would not be able to play in the crucial series in Minnesota. Garciaparra then added "I'll probably have to go on the DL in August, I need extended time off, to be ready for the end of the year... the most important time for me to be healthy is in November (when open bidding begins on his services)."

After a full examination of Garciaparra's heel, the trainers concluded that Nomar was indeed fit to play, telling the disgruntled shortstop that the heel "looks fine to us."

Nomar then sat out Friday's game in Minnesota. On Saturday, when the trade opportunity with the Chicago Cubs heated back up, Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino called Nomar Garciaparra and informed him that there was a strong possibility that he would be moved to the Cubs by the 4:00pm deadline in the spirit of full disclosure. Lucchino then asked Garciaparra how his Achilles' injury was doing. Nomar replied "It's fine now."

CBS4's Bob Lobel chimes in: "This isn't about me or Boston Dirt Dogs, Gammons, Remy, or anyone in the media. Nomar had an exit strategy and he used it. No one wins here, especially the fans that loved #5. He used his options to get out of town; the front office did what they could to appease him. It's a no win situation for everyone. No one lied, no one cheated, no one did the club's bidding, and there was no bad reporting involved. Everyone had their agendas and, once again, the fans are left wondering and questioning who lied, who is the bad guy here, who is the good guy, and who got screwed over... besides the Red Sox fans. It's painful to live in this town sometimes. This is one of those times. When someone holds all the cards, and chooses to play those cards, almost everyone is without much of a choice. It's our lot in life. It's not a lot but it's our life. The only thing left to say is... why can't we get players like that?"

EPSTEIN BARS VIRUS

GONE-SEE-YA-PARRA!

Theo Cures Cancer in the Clubhouse,
No More Nomar as Malcontent Shortstop Traded to Cubs,
First Thing: Milosevic Out of Exile, Sox Go on Defensive,
Orlando Comes to Disneyland, Cabrera Takes Taxi to Boston,
New Team Shortstop Replaces Lone Ranger, Plugs #5 Hole.

Mad About Nomar

8.1.04: I cannot believe you idiots are happy Nomah was traded !!!!!

Let’s think back about the team’s history, shall we? Hmmmm, Ruth, Boggs, Clemens, Tiant, Fisk, Lynn, Cy Young, Eckersly, and now Nomah. Starting to see a pattern now? You are so busy spewing hatred about the one and only player who ever stayed true to a team and not to the almighty dollar. I bet you are now hoping that we trade Varitek instead of offering him a good chunk of cash, huh?

I used to enjoy visiting your website and getting some info. But now I cannot stomach your ramblings. This sight has become the National Enquirer of the Boston Red Sox. You aren’t interested at all in the Sox winning a Series because that will leave you nothing to bitch about on a daily basis. You love when the owners do this stupid (expletive) so you can keep your website up and running.

I have lost all faith in Theo. Lucchino, Henry and Werner are even bigger idiots than you dirt dogs so it (sic) clear why you support them. First Lucchino screws up Baltimore, then he and Werner totally F up San Diego and now they have moved on to my beloved Sox and totally screwed us over. Nice job guys! So you dirt dogs keep sending your support to those A-holes – you are all meant to be together!!!!

- The Favoloras

(In other news, online, out-of-town fanboy lemmings keep blinders on, remain up in arms over losing their Nomie. They refuse to believe the truth, look to blame the media and Lucchino (yawn), and are mad that the Nomah posters have to come down from their bedroom walls and grouchy that they can't wear their #5 jerseys to work no more.)

As Dirt Dog posted on RedSoxNation.net 7.31.04. 1:30am: "Here's the latest from various sources fwiw: D-Lowe appears safe and should make his start tomorrow. But the Red Sox are working frantically as we speak to move Nomar... his sour-puss, selfish attitude has gone even further south. Sox are giving up on his re-signing at this hour and they are on the phone with the Cubs frantically trying to make a deal that works for both teams."

"7.31.04 - 2:02am -- BDD update: Changes in attitude: D-Lowe is safe, while Sox scramble in the 11th hour to move malcontent Nomar Garciaparra."

Media ups and downs: Bob Lobel on CBS4 broke the Nomar trade story yesterday at the 4:00pm deadline during CBS's Buick Open golf coverage. Channel 4 broke back in at 4:45pm to confirm the players involved in the deal. Other broadcast news outlets including WCVB Channel 5 (who's sports coverage is even worse that their bumbling DNC coverage) and Sports Radio 850 WEEI (weekend crew was weak), reported inaccuracies throughout the day, e.g. the Cubs deal had fallen apart, Derek Lowe was scratched for last night's start, and that D-Lowe had been traded to Chicago for Matt Clement, were incorrect. Mile-wide-inch-deep Greg Dickerson botched the coverage for the Red Sox flagship yesterday as he's done on Randy Johnson (following the lies of the NY rags for weeks). Earlier this week, he also repeatedly botched Dave Borkowski's name, calling him "Joe." Michael Holley did a nice job filling in for D&C fwiw.

If You Go to Church Today...

Thank God for Theo Epstein.

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