He hit .294 for the Red Sox after he was dealt to the club in the Nomar Garciaparra trade on July 31st of that year. He played a solid shortstop, and was a big reason the Sox vaulted into the Wild Card lead that August, and eventually into baseball history.
Cabrera left as a free agent after the 2004 championship, and the Red Sox wound up drafting Jacoby Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie as compensation for his exit.
From the 2004 team, there are only seven active players left: Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis (still with the Red Sox), and elsewhere in MLB: Johnny Damon, Bronson Arroyo and Derek Lowe.
All the best in your retirement, OC. We'll always remember your slick glove on that immortal club.
As a Yankees fan, I remember watching the game from early July when Jeter dived into the camera well for the foul ball as being a defining moment in the Jeter v. Nomar debate....maybe b/c on the Yankees broadcast that night they kept showing all the Sox on the top step of their dugout, totally into the energy of what felt like a playoff game....all of them except Nomar.
ReplyDeleteLess than 1 month after his at least quasi-sulk on the bench, Nomar was out of Boston and out of the AL East altogether. What a difference Cabrera made for the Sox down the stretch and in the post-season. It took a lot of moxie for Epstein to make that trade. I did not realize until I read your piece what the Sox turned the compensatory picks they received when Cabrera left via free agency into! Give up Nomar and get all of that in return? Wow!
Jeter maybe best known for that catch in that July 1, 2004 game, Adam, but in my opinion it was the THIRD best defensive play of the night.
ReplyDeletePokey Reese (playing SS with Nomar on the bench) made a sensational catch in the 5th inning (I believe), reaching into the stands down the left field line to end the inning.
But that was topped by the play Alex Rodriguez made in the 11th, as the Sox had the bases loaded and no outs. Slappy made a great play on a grounder, tagged third and threw sidearm from one knee to get Gabe Kapler at home. Without doubt the finest play of the night and it saved the Yankees bacon, but it is forgotten by the incessant Jeter hype machine.