Nomar Garciaparra is calling it quits after a 14 year career.  Nomar was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1994.  He was a six time All Star, a two time batting champ, and the 1997 AL Rookie of the Year.  In 1998 he hit .323 with 35 homers and 122 RBI.  In 2000, he hit .372 with 21 homers and 96 RBI.  He is a career .313 hitter.  After getting traded by the Red Sox in 2004, just months before Boston snapped their World Series drought, Garciaparra went on to play for the Cubs, Dodgers, and A’s but had trouble staying healthy and was never the same player.

Personally I have always respected and liked Nomar despite being a Yankees fan.  He is a likeable person who deserves a lot of credit.  Nomar was one of the “Big 3″ young shortstops in the mid 90′s with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, and although A-rod and Jeter have had better careers, Nomar’s career is absolutely a success.  He signed a contract with ESPN and will be seen on Baseball Tonight and some games that air on the network.