www2.bostonherald.com/new...062002.htm


It's official: Nomar, Mia will tie the knot

by Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Friday, December 6, 2002

Sorry gals, but Boston's most eligible bachelor is off the market!
Nomar Garciaparra, 29, has popped the question to his soccer sweetie
Mia Hamm, 30, and the two are tying the knot ``sometime in the next
two years.''


``It's true, we got engaged over Thanksgiving,'' Nomar told the
Track. ``People want to know where and when we're getting married,
but you know what, I don't even know those details. We're just really
happy right now and really enjoying our time together.''

No. 5, who was in town this week sans Hamm for a string of charity
appearances, was pretty stingy with the details. But we did manage to
pry it out of him that he asked Mia for her hand the old-fashioned
way - down on one knee.

``You know I'm a traditional, old-fashioned guy so I think you can
assume that happened,'' he said.

The Red Sox romeo said he and Mia were ``with family'' over the
holidays when he asked No. 9 to be his bride.

``It was a private moment between me and the person I love,'' he
said. ``I don't really want to share it.'' Awwwww.

We couldn't get the 4-1-1 on the ring out of Nomar, either. But we
can tell you that the future groom didn't buy it in Boston. After
word leaked out from a local jeweler that he was shopping for a 5-
carat rock in the $50,000-to-$100,000 price range, our favorite
shortstud took his business elsewhere!

``Someone lost a big commission,'' he said.

We're not sure what prompted Nomie to step up to the plate at
Thanksgiving - instead of the usual Christmas move. But apparently
Turkey Day is a romantic time for the happy couple. They claim they
started dating last Thanksgiving - even though tabloid reports had
them an item much earlier.

The two-time American League batting champ met the world's all-time
leading soccer scorer in 1998 when he lost a charity penalty-kick
contest to her at Harvard. Mia, who is now a star for the WUSA's
Washington Freedom, felt bad and chatted him up.

Hamm was named U.S. Soccer's Chevrolet Female Athlete of the Year an
unprecedented five years in a row from 1994-1998. A 1994 University
of North Carolina grad with a degree in political science, she was a
three-time NSCAA All-American.

The two became big buddies and the Red Sox slugger, who had been
linked to a string of eligible babes including actresses Lauren Holly
and E! Channel chick Jules Asner, appeared to be on the bench -
dating wise.

Last year Hamm and her hubby, Marine Capt. Christiaan Corry, divorced
and shortly thereafter she and Nomar began publicly dating. They've
been pretty much inseparable since. Mia's a fixture in the stands
behind Fenway's home plate when she's not on the soccer field. And
Nomar - who could have gone to college on a soccer scholarship -
cheers on his honey from the sidelines whenever his schedule permits.
The two will spend their offseason together.

``She does appearances like I do,'' Nomar said. ``We spend the winter
traveling around. We're never in one place. We're really busy
people.'' Well, hopefully not too busy to plan a wedding.

Memo to Theo Epstein: Get an option on the offspring!