Twelve days ago, he conceded he was having trouble solving his hitting issues "because I have no idea what the problem is, so what do I work on?" Later he added, "I suck." Dodgers manager Grady Little and batting coach Bill Mueller are puzzled, but hopeful.
"It's a work in process," Mueller said. That's the game of baseball. "Parts of it are his swing.
We're trying to get him to keep it brief." Little said he didn't know the expression "mojo" (and it does stretch credulity to imagine good ol' Grady queuing up to buy a ticket to a Mike Myers' "Austin Powers" movie). But he knows his former star is struggling.
"We keep thinking he's about to break out," Little said. "I'll be thinking that right through this break and into the second half of the season." Which may be wishful thinking, considering Garciaparra has been a better first-half hitter throughout his career.
Perhaps it would be instructive to look at what has changed since last year, when Nomar hit 20 home runs with 31 doubles and drove in 93 runs. He is a father now. Twins Grace and Ava were born to his wife, Mia Hamm, on March 28.
Is he getting his sleep? "No problems," he said. Babies aren't keeping him up?
"No." No groggy mornings? "Not at all.
" Is he hurt? Little said Nomar is "totally healthy." Nomar isn't quite as sweeping.
"I'm good enough," he said. No nagging ouchies? None he is willing to discuss.
"I don't disclose all my information," he said. Has he slipped over the back side of his career? Hard to imagine, when he won't be 34 until July 23.
But perhaps, given his injury history, he's in his decline phase. Mueller said he and Nomar have spent lots of time together, trying to figure out things. "It's a process that sometimes when players get in a bit of a funk it just takes a little while to get out of it.
It's a work in progress." Mueller said. "There's mental side to it, and a mechanical side.
" Mechanical? "Parts of his swing," Mueller said. "Keeping it brief.
" Sunday, Nomar wouldn't really concede his production - and lack of same - is an issue for the club. "Are we winning," he asked. "Am I helping us win?
That's all that matters." Two homers in 308 at-bats? "I don't care about those, either.
I don't care if they go out or they don't go out." no worries? "I've had years great, I've had years not, nobody cares.
All that fans want to see is see is us win." Maybe so. Management, however, probably expects a bit more from its first baseman - which is why Nomar lost that job to James Loney.
And more production from the No. 3 spot in the batting order - which is why Nomar has slipped to No. Little remains hopeful Nomar can find himself- and his mojo, if Grady knew what that was - during the All-Star break.
"We see flashes of what he can do every once in a while. Hopefully he can take these four days off and come back with what we're looking for - on a more consistent basis." Maybe Nomar can regain his missing mojo.
Has he checked the diaper bag lately? Twelve days ago, he conceded he was having trouble solving his hitting issues "because I have no idea what the problem is, so what do I work on?" Later he added, "I suck.
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