(Host) Governor Jim Douglas says he hopes the Boston Red Sox don’t trade star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra in the next few days.
Garciaparra’s fate appears to be linked to a potential blockbuster trade between the Red Sox and the Texas Rangers. The deal would involve hundreds of millions of dollars in player salaries and a possible trade of Texas shortstop Alex Rodriquez for Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez. If the deal goes through, it’s likely that the Red Sox will trade Garciaparra for a strong-hitting outfielder.
Douglas is an ardent Red Sox fan – he threw out the first pitch at Fenway Park on Vermont Day last summer. He says he has mixed feelings about what could be the trade of the decade:
(Douglas) “Nomar has really captured the imagination of the fans in Boston and I think it would be a real shame to see him play somewhere else. He’s says he’d like to play the rest of his days at Fenway Park and I think a lot of us New Englanders hope that he will.”
(Host) The Red Sox and the Rangers had a deal set late last week but the agreement was opposed by the players’ union. Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks has set a new deadline for five o’clock Tuesday afternoon.