Persons with short memories might not recall that prior Derek Jeter’s face-defying dive into the stands rendered Boston’s brooding superstar persona non grata, Nomar Garciaparra was arguably the most beloved active sporting figure in New England.  Tom Brady, Paul Pierce and David Ortiz have all been deified to one extent or another since the controversial dumping of Garciaparra on the Cubs in July of 2004, but before the injuries, the innuendo from Bob Ryan, the contract squabbles and accusations of official scorer harassment, Nomar wasn’t just a local icon, he was routinely mentioned in the same breath as Jeter and A-Rod when it came to game’s greatest contemporary shortstops.  Despite occasional flashes of his old offensive self in Los Angeles, particularly in 2006, Garciaparra never came close to the form he displayed between ’97 and 2003. He’ll be fondly recalled, especially in wake of today’s stagey retirement as a member of the Red Sox, but who’d have imagined a decade ago — when Garciaparra hit .372 and posted an OPS of 1.033, that he’d be washed up as a full-time player by the time he was 33?