Saturday, February 25, 2006
ContraCostaTimes.com -02/24/2006-Good times for Garciaparra, Hamm:
Nomar Flat Out Denies Steroid Use
"Last April, however, Garciaparra heard the Boston drumbeat in another way. He tore his right groin coming out of the batter's box at Wrigley Field and did not play again until August. Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan, reacting to this latest injury, wondered in print if Garciaparra's physical development and subsequent breakdowns represented a telltale sign of steroid use.
'Let's see,' Garciaparra said with a hint of agitation. 'I hurt my wrist when I was hit by a pitch, I was hit in batting practice and injured the Achilles, and I had an abdominal condition I wasn't even aware of that contributed to the groin injury. Steroids? That's as absurd as saying I faked the Achilles injury.'
He's Sticking To It
For the record, however, Garciaparra said he never asked to be traded, never used or faked the Achilles' injury in an attempt to force a trade, never expressed a desire to play on the West Coast, never would have bought a multimillion-dollar home there in 2003 if it wasn't his thought that he would play out his career with the Red Sox, never turned down a $60 million offer from the club in which all aspects had been fully negotiated or which did not include a significant portion of deferred dollars.
Was there any relief when finally traded?
"Not at all," Garciaparra said. "I cried. I was crushed. The city and the fans meant that much to me, and they still do. I played for those fans, my teammates, the history of that franchise. It was hard to take the way it went down, but the thing I'm proudest of from my time in Boston is that we raised more than $1 million for charity and there is still a playground that has my name on it."
"Not one thing I heard said about Nomar that season or read about him truly described him. I always felt it better described the person who was saying it or writing it. I mean, the furthest thing from the truth is to say he is selfish or greedy or inconsiderate or doesn't care. We've talked about it and I'm sure there were times in Boston when he could have answered a question a little better or more fully or reacted in a better way. But at no time did any of that come from a bad place."
-Mia Hamm-Garciaparra on the misperception of her husband in Boston
-Red Sox Icon Hub
