BR:  Well let's get to it, the story today in local paper blew everyone away...

NG: (laughed) someone told me to read it... I love it here, always felt that way, I never said I wanted to go anywhere... the fans here are great, they embrace me (remembered our sign), I've embraced them.. one thing to be cynical or be criticized on the field.

JC:  You don't call up the scorekeeper?

NG:  I talked about that earlier today (with Debbie Wrobleski), never met the guy (Scoggins/scorekeeper/sun-in-eyes)... I'm not here to bash anybody.  The fans aren't going to sink to that level too.  Go out there, play as hard as you can. Sometimes you're going to make mistakes, like today.

JC:  You don't deserve to play here?

NG:  I'm proud of this uniform. I have pride. Think of those who have played here before me.

JC:  I love this guy, he's a good kid, works hard, he gets a lot of negative press for nothing.

NG:  I learned a lot more.  I grew up in California.  People told me "don't go to the East, it's going to ruin baseball for you,"  I said 'what people are going to be here in the first inning, here in the last?' they were ... that's why I love it so much.  We're fans too, we care... we have high expectations... sometimes you don't make those expectations, those standards are frustrating.  Sometimes things don't come out the way you want them to when you're frustrated.  Something you say in the moment.

BR:  How do you stay positive (with negative).  Media driven? 

NG: I don't know if it was media driven.  Not the fans.  Sometimes it's the clubhouse demeanor too, especially this year... two guys 20 games, 2 guys 100 RBI, ERA leader... why are we packing it up?  No stories about this guy not doing stuff outside the games.  I don't want to see this team break up.  Good hearts, good people. 

BR:  As much as everyone wants to say "We love you Nomar"... let's get to some questions.

NG:  Casey has had a great year, coming up big for us.

JC:  You're your hardest critic, you were out last year now over 110 RBI (more stats) what more can you do here?

NG:  When season's over, I go look in the mirror, ask 'what do I have to do to make this better?'

Calls:

Bob in Wrentham:  Thanks... Buckley's comments were appalling, shouldn't have anything to do with the Herald, Nomar's a great player, I was there getting pictures of Nomar, daughter's autographs... blah, blah... he doesn't cut my grass.. inspiration for the team... lucky to have him... Steve Buckley needs to get new job.

Chris Boston:  Holy cow. Wanted to thank you for play. Media never going to be satisfied.  Talking Patriots, took three years and here we are year one with new management, not even given a year...

BR: Is it more negative?

NG:  Well it's always positive when you win, not positive when you don't win... sounds positive to me hearing the fans out there cheering, they don't have to buy into what one person's opinion is, they're way above that.

NG:  I tell them (other players) it's not like any other place.  This is the first uniform I put on and I want it to be the last one I take off when I pack it up with the family.

Karen Whitney TX:  We love you down here in Texas.  Nomar with an 'R"... I cannot not believe they say Nomah... what about damage control tonight taking Casey out?

NG:  That's what bullpen's for, got a lot out of him....

BR:  Errors?

NG:  I know I'm gonna get some because I'm gonna go for that ball, make the routine ones, not gonna stop trying, the pitcher's going to appreciate it... pop up in the sky, you have those, you're gonna have errors. 

JC:  He's got the strongest arm I've ever seen in the hole...set his feet in the hole, way over the top, good cheese on the ball...

NG: I don't know, arm still attached

BR:  Trade talk

NG:  Somebody said something earlier. I want to stay here.  Do we have control over that stuff?  No.  But that's why I signed a long term deal.

Rob in Billerica:  You said all the right things, glad to hear you talk positive.  Probably the most disappointing season in Red Sox history.  Good to hear how positive you are.  What keeps you positive?

NG:  People like you.  The fans keep me positive.  There isn't a better place to win the World Series.  Once we do I can take it easy because I'll be celebrating.

Fan:  Don't want to trade you, but stop hacking at that first pitch...

NG:  Hey that's the way I played as a kid, got a couple of batting titles...  JC:  You're hitting .400...

NG:  In years past, maybe you were going to see pitcher down the line, not so much now... if I'm swinging well, I'm going to swing at the first ball... people said 'if it doesn't work, don't talk to me" 

NG:  I tell people, I don't look good walking... I got a bat in my hand

Bill North Attleboro:  Congrats on a great year.  What's it gonna take to get past Yankees.

NG:  We don't need much, same record as Minnesota Twins.  Great bunch of guys.  Break it down to one-run ballgames.  Inter-league, not a big fan.  We played the best team in MLB six times.  It happens.  I really like these guys.  What needs to change?  I don't know.  These are great guys. Great individuals. No one is talking about them as individuals.

BR:  What do you do outside of baseball?

NG:  Rest, relax.  See family at home, go to beach.  Travel here, there.  Just like everybody else.   Boston has great character.  It's a natural city, it's awesome.  I used to take the T around.  Nice day I'm still going to walk down the street.  People see me I say hey...

NG:  Not here to talk about Manny, not going to take sides.  He's got 100 RBIs, going for batting title. That's what I'll talk about.  He apologized to everyone.  Apologized to me.  He sure is showing it (that he's the best hitter in baseball).

BR:  I watch Manny, how still that head it, ball explodes off bat.

NG:  Yes, hits ball hard. Like Cliff Floyd,  they ask 'how's he hitting?'  Hard.  Almost got thrown out on ball off CF wall it was hit so hard.

BR:  Since you've been here nothing bad about Nomar or Manny off field... must have hurt today

NG:  Well when they criticize play on the field, but when it's a personal attack... when you start getting on someone's character, hey, you're going to another level.

Call:  Do you think Boston is missing a couple of pieces to the pie to get to playoffs?

NG:  We didn't think we had anything missing this year.  Sometimes you need a luck, ball bounces that way.  I like these guys.  I like going into battle with them.  If you keep this team together, the results could be different.

Joe Concord NH: ...got everything in place you need, what's it going to take to keep this core together?

NG:  Don't really know what management is thinking up top.  How people's contracts are worded.  Don't know what it's going to take to keep these guys.  But a lot of guys feel exactly the same way I do (love it here). 

BR:  Position by position, everything is good... really an enigma what went wrong.

NG:  Sometimes it takes a little luck. Oakland A's.

JC:  Can't compare baseball to football, not a rah rha thing.

NG:  Football different, fired up for one game a week.  Baseball being every day, sometimes you have to be even keeled.

JC:   You can lead by example too.

NG:  Every time you lose, people say you need a leader.  Just because we're not talking to the media, doesn't mean we don't have leaders there.

BR:  So in the last 45 minutes, safe to say you love it in Boston.

NG:  Oh yeah, I do... I don't want to leave.