Nomar Garciaparra and a Lesson in Empathy
Nomar Garciaparra made his MLB debut with the Boston Red Sox in 1996, meaning this story took place when I was 11 or 12 years old. It still stands out in my mind as one of the best lessons I’ve ever learned.
Joseph Ranallo and I were at a Cleveland Guardians game at Progressive Field (though back then it was an Indians game at The Jake).
Before the game, Joe and I were standing along the first base line with a bunch of other kids waiting for autographs and BP baseballs. At some point, the newest phenom for the Red Sox, Nomar Garciaparra, was standing near first.
Instantly, fans and kids started screaming for autographs and baseballs. It was just incoherent scream after incoherent scream.
“Nomar!”
“Nomar!”
“Can I get a ball?!”
“Sign my hat!”
“Nomar!”
Nomar was in no hurry to appease any of us.
At that point, Nomar took off his hat, took a knee, and began to pray.
Yet, the incoherent screaming did not cease. And I get it, we were just a bunch of kids and didn’t understand just how important the pregame ritual or faith was to Nomar.
But something clicked in either Joe's or my mind. So we took action.
We quickly told everyone around us to be quiet.
“SHH! Everyone quiet! He’s trying to pray,” we said.
And the kids around us listened! The area around the visitor's dugout was completely silent for a few short minutes.
Here’s where the story gets fun. When Nomar was finished praying, he got up, and walked directly to Joe and I. He thanked us, signed our baseballs, and then went about signing for the other kids.
That may very well have been the first sale I ever made. We recognized pain and approached him with empathy, and it paid off with a signed baseball.
