ST. LOUIS – The other night at Fenway Park, a fan held up a sign that read, “1918+33+34+24-5=2004.”
Like this year’s Red Sox, the equation doesn’t work unless you subtract No. 5, Nomar Garciaparra.
Garciaparra, traded to the Cubs on July 31 in a four-team deal, is a somewhat forgotten man in Boston because shortstop Orlando Cabrera emerged in his place.
Thanks in part to Cabrera’s two-run single off the Green Monster on Sunday, the Red Sox held a two-games-to-none World Series advantage over the Cardinals entering last night’s Game 3 at Busch Stadium.
Fans initially said “good grief” when Garciaparra departed. Now it’s “good riddance.”
However, Red Sox players voted Garciaparra a full playoff share instead of a partial one, proof that they still remember his contributions.
“He helped get us where we are,” reliever Mike Timlin said yesterday. “He was a major part of the team.”
A Garciaparra pal told the Boston Herald last weekend that the nine-year veteran was “devastated,” “upset” and “hurt” that the Sox reached the World Series without him.
“He loves this town, he loves this team,” the pal said. “He never wanted to leave; it was all just a big misunderstanding.”
Cabrera, a former Expos shortstop, is reveling in the worldwide attention; Garciaparra seemingly would have been content to play in half-empty stadiums like his soccer-star wife, Mia Hamm.
Cabrera was batting .300 this postseason with 11 RBIs in 12 games. The Colombian was serving as host to a radio reporter from his country who is part good-luck charm, part chronicler. Cards shortstop Edgar Renteria, also from Colombia, was a little perturbed by that.
“Once he flew into Boston, we haven’t lost,” Cabrera said of the reporter. “When Renteria saw him, he said, ‘Hey, I know what team you’re [dissing].’ ”
Cabrera said the north coast of Colombia grinds to a halt at about 7 p.m. daily.
“Everybody watches the game,” he said. “It’s great, it’s unbelievable for us. We get a lot of recognition, they see us play every day now. Especially for me, they’ve never seen me play every day.”
Neither have most baseball fans. Teammate Kevin Millar competed against Cabrera when Millar was in Florida. His first word to describe him was “tremendous.”
“He’s a baseball player,” Millar said. “One of the best two-strike hitters you’ll see in the big leagues.
“He goes up and battles you to death. He’s a tough out.”
Garciaparra was rattled after the Red Sox’s scuttled offseason trade for Alex Rodriguez and always will be defined, in part, for sitting out and moping during the July 1 game against the Yankees when Derek Jeter’s dive into the stands helped the Yankees to a 5-4, 13-inning victory. The trade of Garciaparra, a franchise icon, followed later that month.
“Especially in an area like Boston where they latch on to their favorite players so much and there’s so much passion, I’m sure it was very difficult,” manager Terry Francona said of GM Theo Epstein’s deal.
