Nomar Garciaparra (10-14-24)

DV catches up with Nomar before Game 2 of the NLCS. Nomar shares the key to hitting in the postseason. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Game two of the NLCS Dodgers and Mets, and
we're joined right now by a man that helped the
Dodgers get some good mojo, good karma to beat the
Padres in Game five. That's number five. No Mare, garciapara,
No mar, I feel like you earned your playoffs share already.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
I was joking with the guys on set and I said,
that was the first time I ever realized how critical
the ceremonial first pitch was to victories. And then we
were joking around and they were laughing, but I had
no part of it.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Really.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
I mean, how fun is it watching this Dodger team.
They are incredible To watch the word fight Dave Roberts,
who is quite often, but it is so fitting. I
think they showed that it's one thing to say it,
but it's another thing to see it. I think the
Dodger fans have all seen that so far, and we're
excited because that's exactly what it's going to take. And

(00:51):
they have been so entertaining and we should all continue
to be supportive of them, and they're they're taking us
on an incredible journey right now.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
No mar I thought about you last night. You must
have loved the fact the Dodgers scored nine runs without
hitting a home run and there were two sacrifice bunts
in the.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Game, Dave, I was so excited. I'm not gonna lie
on my way over here today. I was actually talking
with my wife. We were talking and she's traveling. We
were talking about the game, and I said, first of all,
what an amazing pitching performance. I mean, just incredible by Flaarty,
Just so fun to watch, so in control of the poise,

(01:31):
the execution was really a joy to watch. And I said,
then from the offensive side, that was just baseball. It
was just an unbelievably well played baseball game by the Dodgers,
defensively doing all the defensively pitching wise. And then from
the offense side, I said, the sack bunts, recognizing how
important ninety feet the clutch hits that they had. I said,

(01:52):
everything about it. And then it was a quality at
bat after quality at bat, every single inning, trying to
find a way to maybe score at least one run.
I mean, it was a great game to watch.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
What do you expect today a day game? Manai has
been pretty good. Do you expect that this is going
to go as perfectly as it did for the Dodgers
in Game four against the Padres.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
We all hope I can't ever doubt these Dodgers again,
because trust me, I was. I admit, yeah, there was
even in Game five, I was questioning some of their
decisions as far as you know yamamotas starting with either
best choice based on the numbers and based on his
what history over the course of this season against the Padres.
But man, he silenced all those critics, which was great

(02:35):
to see. You know, having a bullpen game, you're going, Okay,
you better hope every single guy coming out of there.
They did an unbelievable job. So I don't I can't
doubt him anymore. There's no nor should anybody. Right, Well,
we wait and see how it happens. But these guys
are focused, and we've seen that over the course of
this last series, and I hope that continues today. And

(02:57):
I think these guys are pulling for each other no
matter if somebody get in trouble, they're going to try
to find a way to pick each other up and
continue to fight.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
I've got to point out that Nomar Garciapara gets overlooked
in a lot of different ways about how great of
a player he was in his place in baseball history.
Nomar was a three twenty one lifetime playoff hitter. That's
a playoff performer. What does it take Nomar to be
able to rise to the occasion on this stage.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
It's funny that you say rise. The reason why I
say that and because I used to say this to
my team all the time. They go, no more to
the playoffs. They said, you don't need to rise to anything.
I said, you don't have to be I always say,
you don't have to be extraordinary in the playoffs. You
already are extraordinary. Just be your ordinary self, I said,

(03:45):
just be yourself because we're already here. The reason you
get to this point, the reason you have played one
hundred and sixty two. You already recognize that one of
the best teams around. After one hundred and sixty two.
It's kind of hard to hide that right after that
many games. So what do we have to do even
more than that? No, we got to be our ordinary
selves and recognize that and to be able to be
in that control. And for me personally, I think I

(04:09):
had a lot of success in the postseason, so I
thought it was so much fun. Like sees show. Hey,
his smile, I'm like, man, he's all right, because that's
what you're supposed to be doing. I still smile this.
People ask me, do I miss playing? I don't when
it's postseason. Now I miss it. This there's nothing like
the postseason. It is so much fun. I still smiling

(04:29):
from ear to ear. And that was my mentality, because
you know what, what didn't matter for you for four
or four for four? It really doesn't matter. It doesn't
matter whether I went three twenty one. It doesn't matter
did we win that day? What did I do? Did
I move the runner over? We heard about ninety feet?
Does matter in the postseason? Fo Dave Roberts trying to said,
we've been saying this all along. You can throw all
the analytics, all that, you know, when you have a

(04:51):
lot of big data, big data sample, okay, you can
make some decisions, some influence, but playoffs isn't about the
major data. It's about recognizing the moment and recognizing how
ninety feet. Sometimes it's that I had a friend who
told me she goes, she goes. It's really the competition
for second base. I'm like, man, what an unbelievable quote
and unbelievable observation. As we're discussing about this game and

(05:12):
the intricacies and the importance, I'm like, yeah, a battle
for second base is a great way to put it,
because ninety feet matters, and how that impacts emotionally, the
pressure everything about it, from uplifting if you're trying to
knock that guy in to the pressure on the opposing picture.
There's a lot of little nuances, and I thought in
yesterday's game we saw that come into play. I think
that's what made me so excited, because there were so

(05:33):
many other things that came into play in yesterday's game
that the Dodgers did right. So to me, for the postseason,
you have to be focused, but most important, you just
have to enjoy it, embrace it, and know that everything
you did, everything you have done to this point, was
to be in this moment.

Speaker 1 (05:49):
No, Mar, as long as I'm here, nobody will forget
how great you were. I know the fans in Boston
that Boston media shortchanged you, but you were one of
the greatest shortstops and greatest hitters that this game has
ever seen. And you did it in the playoffs too,
So thank you. And I don't take this for granted
being with you.

Speaker 2 (06:08):
Oh, I appreciate David. Listen. I didn't do that for
any recognition. Listen. I'm so lucky, blessed to be able
to play this game. I'm so lucky and blessed to
continue to be able to talk about this beautiful game.
And I'm here and I'm at home, and I'm surrounded
by amazing people. I'm part of an amazing organization. I mean,

(06:29):
nobody needs to tell me I appreciate it. Nobody needs
to say or anything like that. I don't need any
of that. I just am lucky. I'm fortunate to be
a part, a small part of this game that I'm
so happy that it'll continue on and it's going to
continue on, and that's what makes it so beautiful.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
That's why Nomar is so great. Siempre suave from Wittier.
Thanks Nomar, you got it.

Speaker 2 (06:51):
They've always good to talk to you there.

Speaker 1 (06:53):
He is one of the best players in baseball history.
Nomar Garciapara. You'll see him on sports Net. Laugh of
the World Series. I said it