Posted on 01/20/2006 8:13:00 PM PST by doug from upland
01/14/2006 10:06 PM ET
Garciaparra to suit up for Mexico
Dodgers' new acquisition also working on learning first base
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
LOS ANGELES -- New Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, a native of Whittier, Calif., but the son of Mexican parents, will play for Mexico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. "He's honored to be asked and to participate," general manager Ned Colletti said of Garciaparra.
Colletti said that Garciaparra will report to Spring Training on Feb. 14 with the pitchers and catchers, and will work with new hitting coach Eddie Murray on making the transition to first base before he leaves for training camp in Arizona with the Mexican national team.
Colletti expressed no reluctance over Garciaparra's desire to participate, even if it takes him away from training camp while learning a new defensive position.
"He's called me every step of the way," Colletti said. "He didn't want it to distract from his learning curve during the spring."
Mexico is in Group B of the world tournament, playing against the United States, Canada and South Africa. The Aztec team includes pitchers Oliver Perez of Pittsburgh, Rodrigo Lopez of Baltimore and Luis Ayala of Washington.
Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
i dont know what to make of it. there are plenty of americans who compete on other nations teams like Israels. Remember one of the victims of the munich massacre was an american. tons of greek americans competed as greeks in the 2004 games.
still a loyal fan of Nomah though.
Wow, I am scared now. Nomar might just push Mexico over the top.
Why would they let this hack play on the team when there are a lot of better players out there?
Well, that would be my point.
Maybe, just maybe, he wants to play ball.
I'll bet that he's playing for the Mexican team because that's the only way he'll get to play in the tourney.
Americans and Canadians who were second-generation used to play for the Italian hockey team.
And they will have the top slugger in the National League, Andruw Jones.
I've never liked that, either.
If you live in the U.S., and especially if you were born here, you ought to play for the U.S., IMO.
But, the other guy had a point...maybe he couldn't make the U.S. team.
It might be good for a change, turning the table sort of since he is an American doing a job Mexican citizens wont do (sic), hope the ball player in Mexican who didn’t make the team learns to know how it feels to have his country sell out on him and start marching in the streets or something…. Well a good riddance from the USA anyhow.
I heard Jesper Parnevik was going to play for them as well.
OK...that changes it a bit, then. A stupid idea, but if them's the rules, them's the rules.
But will Bert Blyleven come out of retirement to pitch for them...???
Seriously? Piazza's playing for Italy?
Yep, Mike is playing for Italy.
Is Burt Blyleven still available to pitch?
No mas!
Actually, I do not think he was asked and that is why he went south. In more ways than one.
Could be. This could also be a PR stunt by the Dodgers to attract more Hispanic/Mexican fans this season.
Nomar is hardly the only guy doing this. Virtually every major leaguer who couldn't make the US team and has a name ending in a vowel is playing for Italy. This includes Mike Piazza (does this answer your later question about a gay team?).
Interestingly ehough, Greg Gagne will be playing for Canada, but Larry Walker will not.
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