CHICAGO -- Nomar Garciaparra looked like he felt right at home with the Cubs on Sunday, even if he didn't get to wear No. 5.
The new Cubs shortstop, acquired Saturday in a four-team trade, went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in a 6-3 come from behind victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. He also discovered how tricky the wind can be at Wrigley Field.
"It was a surreal feeling," Garciaparra said about his first day ever at Wrigley in his first uniform other than a Boston one in 10 years. "The fans were cheering when I walked out to stretch. It was hard not to take it all in and stay focused for the game at the same time. I'm
excited that we won today."
Garciaparra made several new friends by signing autographs after batting practice, too. He delighted the sellout crowd of 39,032 with his defensive skills, too.
"He can play," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "This is just the beginning of what he can do."
It'll just take time to get acclimated.
"Any time you spend 10 years in one place, you establish your home there, I have nothing but great things to say about the city [of Boston] and the people there," Garciaparra said Sunday.
"At the same time, going out to breakfast this morning people were telling me 'Welcome to Chicago' and that was great as well and takes the sadness away and brings a smile to your face," Garciaparra said. "You say, 'Hey, this is a wonderful place to be' and I think I knew that coming
in."
Baker inserted the shortstop into the No. 2 spot in the lineup.
"I don't know what I expect of myself except to play hard," Garciaparra said. "I feel like I'm a small part of this club. They have everything here already. Hopefully I'm a small little piece who can help as much as I can."
He arrived in time for some history as Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux was vying for his 300th career victory against Philadelphia. Maddux did not get a decision in the game.
"I think that should be the focus today more than anything," Garciaparra said. "I felt bad coming in -- I said I think there's a bigger issue here. I'm sure they're not worried about the new guy coming in but worried about getting that one for Maddux. That's my goal."
He wasn't wearing his familiar No. 5. That's Cubs catcher Michael Barrett's number. Garciaparra opted for No. 8, recently vacated by Alex Gonzalez, who ended up in Montreal in the complicated eight-player swap.
"I'm willing to talk to him about it," Barrett said about No. 5, which he has worn his entire career. "I just want him to be comfortable. If he starts tearing it up with No. 8, I'm sure he'll keep No. 8."
How did he end up with No. 8?
"They were trying to figure out what number they could actually put 'Garciaparra' around," Garciaparra said. "This was the one that fit."
Maddux had sympathy for Garciaparra and did his best to help him feel at ease.
"It was nice to see him have a good game," Maddux said. "It was nice to see him get that hit late in the game and get the RBI and catch every ball hit to him. You change teams for the first time and that's tough. It's tough. You don't know anybody. He's never been on the field. I know my first time changing teams was tough.
"We hate to lose Alex Gonzalez," Maddux said. "He did a lot for this team last year and this year. Saying that, we're glad we've got Nomar on our team. He's one of the best shortstops in the game for awhile. He's a ballplayer, he plays the game right and he plays the game hard. We're
very fortunate to have him as a teammate."
"You know he's one of the great players in the game," Cubs pitcher Matt Clement said of the shortstop. "For Boston fans to rally around one person like that, he's got to be a good guy. He comes to work and does his job. We're excited to have him here."
"It's awesome," Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa said. "He was in Boston, he's here now. It's a beautiful thing."
It'll take some time to get used to the weird playing conditions at Wrigley, too. He caught four popups, including one that Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez lost in the sun.
"I was saying to Ramirez, 'How do you not catch those -- they're all yours,'" Garciaparra said, joking. "All that stuff will take time to get used to. When I went to get that one in foul territory over there, I didn't know where the mound was. That just takes time. It will take time
to get used to the second baseman. They have to get used to me, too. They'll probably get tired of me after awhile."
Probably not. Adding a five-time All-Star and MVP candidate to the lineup is a definite plus for the Cubs, who are in the NL Wild Card race.
He was nervous and compared Sunday's game with his new team to his first day in the big league jitters.
"No question I was nervous," he said. "There were different emotions going on. Getting the ground ball, making the play, you're still nervous. That's what makes this game great, too."
But he also felt some "sadness" at leaving the Red Sox and the only organization he's played for. Asked to sum up his Boston experience, he quipped, "Do you have an hour?"
"You're saddened [at leaving] because I went to a place that embraced me so much," he said. "I appreciated the way they supported us so much. I tried to give back to the city as well."
This is the last year of his contract, but Garciaparra was still trying to get used to his surroundings less than 24 hours after switching teams. He's not ready to think about the future.
"It hasn't even entered my mind," he said about next season. "I'm just here to play the game I love and do the best I can and get acclimated here."
He was slowed at the start of the season by an Achilles injury and said he will likely have to take days off now and then because he's not 100 percent. The only way to heal his Achilles is rest.
"I don't know many baseball players who are 100 percent," Garciaparra said. "When I was first coming back, I didn't say I wanted to be 100 percent, I just wanted to be well enough to play and I am well enough to play."
Nomar Garciaparra / SS
Born: 07/23/73
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 190 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R
The Red Sox and Cubs are similar franchises -- they have a long suffering but very passionate fan base and play in the two oldest ballparks in the Major Leagues.
"I know it's a great tradition [with the Cubs]," Garciaparra said. "You sense it when you hear people talk about it. You see the place packed and the passion the fans have and that they care. I think that's what makes it. I'm sure Wrigley doesn't become Wrigley until all the fans are
there. They're the ones who make the tradition here. They're the ones who make what the Chicago Cubs are all about. They're the ones feeling it every day."
It will be interesting to see how long it takes Garciaparra to adjust to the National League.
"Garciaparra, when he's healthy, he can sure play, there's no question about that," Houston manager Phil Garner said. "Interleague Play has helped a little bit from hitters crossing over leagues. Four or five years ago, I called one manager in the National League to talk about a
trade I thought would be good for his team. He said he would never trade for an American League hitter during the season because he didn't think the hitters did well when they crossed leagues.
"We'll see how Garciaparra does," Garner said, laughing. "Maybe it still holds true."
Sosa says the rest of the Cubs need to pick up the offensive slack.
"He's going to do his part but we have to continue to do our part," Sosa said. "I know he's awesome but it's about everybody, it's not about one guy. He'll come here, do his part and we'll follow him."
Carrie Muskat is
a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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Nomar Garciaparra / SS
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