Byline: David Heuschkel Hartford Courant
BOSTON -- The transition could not have been more challenging.
Orlando Cabrera wasn't just switching teams when the Red Sox acquired him from the Expos. He was switching leagues.
One day he was playing in a city where baseball is on the brink of extinction. The next day he was playing for a team that was on the cusp of going to the World Series last year. His old team played in an echo chamber. His new team was played in front of sellout crowds.
Going from a team that was in last place to one that was in a pennant race afforded Cabrera no time to adjust to his new surroundings. Getting to know teammates would be a lot easier than becoming familiar with new opposing pitchers. Learning to play on grass every day after playing on artificial turf for seven years was a challenge in itself.
'And he's replacing a guy that was the next biggest thing to Ted Williams in this city,' Kevin Millar said.
It's certainly debatable that Nomar Garciaparra, traded to the Cubs in the July 31 deal that sent Cabrera to the Red Sox, was the second greatest player in Red Sox history.
What's not debatable is that Garciaparra was a five-time All-Star, two-time batting champion and one of the most beloved players in franchise history.
Think there was just a little bit of pressure on Cabrera?
'I was afraid of him putting too much pressure on himself because of you guys,' Pedro Martinez said. 'Nothing else. The media was the only thing. Not the fans.'
One thing that worked in Cabrera's favor is that Garciaparra was a lot more popular with the fans than he was with teammates.
To say Cabrera has smiled more in six weeks with the Red Sox than Garciaparra did in his last six years may be a stretch. But Cabrera has fit in so well because his personality differs greatly from his predecessor's.
'He's a fun guy,' Millar said. 'He's a joker. He's a crazy guy just like the rest of us. That's how he's fit in. He and I had a handshake within two days. He's got a handshake for everybody. He has a lot of fun on the field. He's a good player and a good clubhouse guy. I think this city is going to love him as soon as you get accustomed to knowing that it's Orlando Cabrera at short.'
Cabrera's teammates already love him. He loves to interact with them.
'He's a gamer,' Jason Varitek said. 'He goes out there every day. He's got a spunk about him. He's got a little fire in him. And he's a good player.'
As good a fielder as Garciaparra was, Cabrera has been better. He has made several outstanding plays, causing teammates to marvel. In 141 games this season, including 40 with Boston, he has 12 errors and a .980 fielding percentage.
Cabrera won a Gold Glove in 2001 with the Expos. He committed 11 errors in 162 games and had a .986 fielding percentage.
'Don't hit it to the shortstop,' Bill Mueller said, 'because he's going to make the play.'
For the first time in his career, Cabrera is playing for a contender. The Expos finished higher than fourth once in his seven seasons in Montreal.
'It's been really exciting to come out every day and play,' said Cabrera, who has hit .284 with Boston.
' Cabrera, who went 3-for-25 in his first six games with the Red Sox, has handled the pressure in Boston. He never considered himself Garciaparra's replacement.
'I never met Nomar,' Cabrera said. 'I met him at second base when he hit a double. I said, 'Nomar, what's happening?' He seems like a really cool guy, and I still think he's a really cool guy. How he was here in the clubhouse, I don't know and I don't care. I'd be stupid if I was trying to ask everybody how he was so I can act different.'
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RICK STEWART/Getty Images
Orlando Cabrera of Boston loses his shoe while running the bases.
