trot

January 23rd, 2007 → 8:56 am @ // No Comments

I’m a little late on this, but I wanted to offer up one last tip of the cap to Christopher Trot Nixon. (There’s a much funnier tip of said cap here. What I want to know is, who is this Jose guy?) In 2003, I “won” the right to buy playoff tickets on the Green Monster and therefore was at Game 3 of the ALDS, a game which was, in my mind anyway, the highlight of Trot’s career in Boston. (This is an image I’ll never forget. And it was great right up to the point when Trot started thanking Jesus for guiding the ball over the wall. Which made me wonder: what did the A’s do to make Jesus hate them so much?)

That said, I was never felt the Trot love like some folks did. He was great in ’03 (really great, actually: he was second on the team in OPS and OPS+, trailing only Manny), but he’s pretty much been al albatross since then, and a powerless one at that. (I was arguing that he should be benched even when healthy back in August.) What he was, however, was always classy, and his departing words to Boston showed that once again: “When it didn’t happen [with the Red Sox], that was fine,” said Nixon. “There’s some other pretty good outfielders on the market. The Red Sox are a big market team, and I understand that. There’s no hard feelings, that’s the game of baseball. That’s what happens in professional sports. Obviously you know how much the [Red Sox] organization meant to me. I’ll always love that city. I’m going to bring that same attitude, that same intensity, to Cleveland.”

Indeed. I don’t know the next time we’ll see a guy who gets kicked out of a game when he’s on the DL. Good luck with the Indians.


Post Categories: Trot Nixon

13 Comments → “trot”


  1. Jack

    17 years ago

    You and Jose are both right and the DirtDogs guy is a friggin’ moron.

    And yes, who is Jose???

    He’s a great writer.

    Reply

  2. Mr. Furious

    17 years ago

    That stuff always cracks me up. I imagine it’s an attempt at modesty and giving credit to “the Lord” as opposed to oneself, yet it has always struck me as incredibly vain to think that God personally intervenes on behalf of your prayers and wastes his time helping your ball over the fence.

    You put a good swing on the ball, Trot. End of story.

    All that said, I liked Trot, and always like to see guys spend extended time with the team that brought ’em up. But his useful days for Boston expired a season or two ago.

    Good luck in Cleveland, I hope you stay healthy and put up big numbers.

    Reply

  3. V06

    17 years ago

    Now here’s actually a guy you could see losing self-control and kicking a hotel door down.

    And thanking the Lord for giving him the strength to do it.

    Reply

  4. yerfatma

    17 years ago

    Someone tell Jose the line is, “You won’t have Trot Nixon to pitch around anymore.” Except, of course, no one has pitched around him since the last BC spring training tilt.

    Reply

  5. carnett

    17 years ago

    Why do people feel the so much love for Trot? No, No not because he’s white. We love Trot because he’s one of us. He’s like a brother that had the chance to play in the major leagues. Trot played every game like it was a game. Losing wasn’t an option for Trot. All in or nothing! That attitude set him aside from the rest of the MLB players(who realize it’s a long season and play when it’s beneficial to there bank account). Of course that mentality cost Trot quite a bit of playing time. One thing it didn’t cost him was one ounce of respect.

    Reply

  6. kmjm

    17 years ago

    First Time Posting Long Time Reader. Great Job Seth.

    Now before I get started, I’ll expect some venom for posting a pro-Trot Nixon opinion. I understand the stats, I read this and FJM, but you all don’t understand something… Baseball is a kids’ game.

    I grew up loving the Sox. In Connecticut that’s a 50/50 shot at best, listening on the radio or watching a fuzzy snowy Channel 22 signal from Springfield.

    I know guys whose kids grew up liking the Yankees because of 1996-2000. Not my kids! Because 25(+) guys got it done. Yeah let’s remember what Trot should have been. Let’s remember a playoff homer in 2003. If Wily Mo Pena was playing right field in Game 5 ALCS of 2004, that 14 inning game would have had a different outcome- before 9pm. October 18, 2004 we would have won one and lost one, and we’d still be waiting. So let’s praise Dave Roberts and Keith Foulke, and belittle Trot because he believes something you don’t?

    My boy wears #7 basketball, baseball whatever- because he was there for 6 hours in the bleachers on October 18th. I busted him outta school to get there. His room is a shrine to that day, that game in Red Sox history. He wrote to Trot Nixon to thank him… guess what he wrote back.

    He’s a man who plays the game right, and gives it all he’s got and respects the Sox. How can you possibly act like he’s Johnny Damon, Keith Foulke, Kevin Millar or Derek Lowe or the other Champions that get slammed.

    I want them badly to win again, but I won’t forget the guys that made our life long dream come true. If you don’t have something nice to say keep it to yourself. Grow up. it’s a kids’ game.

    Reply

  7. HFXBOB

    17 years ago

    Trot’s most famous moment is no doubt the game-winning homer against Oakland. But I’ll always remember him hitting 3 doubles in game 4 of the 04 Series including the huge 2-run shot on the 3 and 0 pitch, a ball that was crushed. One of the great things about the 04 postseason was that every guy in the lineup 1 to 9 had a big contribution at some point. What a lineup that was, with guys like Nixon, Varitek, and Mueller sitting behind Manny and Papi.

    Reply

  8. branatical

    17 years ago

    Another great Trot Nixon moment was his sliding catch in the 6th inning of Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS that robbed Hideki Matsui of what could have been a series-ending hit.

    The Yankees had just gone up 4-2 on a Derek Jeter double that scored three runs. Jeter advanced to third on the throw. Pedro then hit A-Rod who advanced to second when Martinez walked Sheffield. Up comes Hideki Matsui. Pedro’s pitch count was up there and we all know how Matsui owns Pedro. Francona didn’t budge and on Pedros’ 111th pitch, Matsui scorched a liner that Trot somehow was able to make a sliding play on. The hit would have probably scored three more runs and probably would have put the nail in the coffin. But Trot was there to save the day for everyone, including Francona who would have surely gone down in Grady Little history.

    Whether you love him, hate him or just plain respect him, Trot was a quintessential Red Sox member of that now bygone era.

    Reply

  9. kmjm

    17 years ago

    Yes, branatical, that’s exactly the defensive play I meant in my post above. That was his greatest moment- and too many people forget it. It surely was a series ending catch- without it, we lose.

    We’ve seen plenty of botched right field plays when Trot was out of the lineup. I’m pretty sure Wily Mo will never be the answer in Right or Left. And we are set at DH, agreed everyone? Or someday will we find a reason to bitch about Ortiz’ shortcomings when we are through with him?

    So, the Sox move on without him- that’s fine, but Trot should not be bad mouthed for what he wasn’t. He was came up big on a play that really mattered to all of us.

    Reply

  10. HFXBOB

    17 years ago

    Further on the catch Trot made in game 5, I remember that after the series Joe Torre singled out that play as a critical moment in the series. I think he said something to the effect that he was a bit shocked that Trot had caught it and looking back it seemed to show that the Sox were meant to win. I guess in a way it was our payback for the two improbable plays Lou Piniella made in right field in the 1978 playoff game.

    Reply

  11. tmurph13

    17 years ago

    Remember the No Trot for Sammy kerfuffle a few years back? Did I think the Nation was nuts for not wanting to trade Trot for Sosa? You bet, little did I know they would be right for very different reasons!

    Good luck in your future endeavours Trot Nixon.

    Reply

  12. Jack

    17 years ago

    Last post was on Tuesday. Either Seth’s getting lazy or he met a girl.

    Reply

  13. Jack

    17 years ago

    Of course with headlines like “I can’t quit you” maybe I should amend my last post.

    Reply

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