We’ve all heard the rumors regarding his imminent transition from the field into the TV studio, and the writing has been on the wall for the injury-plagued player for quite some time.  But, the words still pack a bit of a punch when you actually see them in print.

Nomar Garciaparra, arguably the greatest shortstop in Red Sox history, will announce his retirement this morning.

During 1999 and 2000, Garciaparra was simply one the most fun players to watch in the entire league, with his explosive bat and his penchant for making highlight-reel caliber plays deep in the left side of the infield.  How good was he really during this time frame?

Here Nomar’s two best years as measured by Wins Above Replacement Player, stacked against the two best years from Derek Jeter, a sure-fire Hall of Fame shortstop from the same era:

Unfortunately, Nomar’s  inability to stay on the field for a prolonged period of time after age 30 led to his ultimate downfall from a superstar to a sympathetic icon of hard luck and untapped potential.

Still, he made his mark on the game, and (along with a certain pitcher) was a primary cause of the Red Sox fan frenzy that developed in the late 90’s/early 00’s and still exists today.  Without his half-season of contibution in 2004, the Sox probably do not win their first World Championship in 86 years.

Update: Nomar will sign a one-day contract with the Boston Red Sox today, so he can retire as a member of the team with which he experienced his most profound moments of greatness.  This, of course, opens up the possibility that you will see #5 retired above right-field at Fenway Park in the future.

In my opinion, if #6 is there, I don’t see how you can not have #5 there as well.

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