Topic: Nomar Garciaparra

Anthony Nomar Garciaparra (pronounced /ˈnoʊmɑr ɡɑrˌsiːəˈpɑrə/; born July 23, 1973, in Whittier, California) is an American Major League Baseball player for the Oakland Athletics. He previously played first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and shortstop and third base for the Chicago Cubs, after a decade as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox. He is one of 13 players in Major League history to hit two grand slams during a single game, and the only player to achieve the feat at home.

Garciaparra is a six-time All-Star (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006). In five postseason series he has batted .323 with a slugging percentage of .625.

His name has an interesting origin. His first name is his father's name, Ramon, spelled backwards. His last name is a combination of both his mother's and father's last names. Garciaparra attended St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California where he excelled in football, soccer, and baseball, had a 4.0GPA, and was class valedictorian. His teams won high school league championships in 1990-91, and he won the league MVP honors in 1991, his last year of high school. St. John Bosco High School retired Garciaparra's baseball jersey. St. John Bosco High School's Activities Office window is home to an area dedicated to Garciaparra's baseball career both at the school and with the Dodgers.