Farewell, Trot

Trot Nixon signed a 1-year, $3million deal with the Indians today. So officially ends the Boston career of one of the original and best-loved members of the 2003 team that began the wild ride to the first World Series win in our lifetimes.

Sadly, we caught only glimpses -- particularly in the last two years -- of the kind of player Trot could have been. Injuries limited his playing time and effectiveness, but he was a classy player, a good guy, and immensely talented when he could play. Ultimately, by the end of the 2006 season, most everyone understood it was time for both sides to move on.

Trot richly deserved the three rain-soaked standing ovations he received on the final day of the season. He'll get at least one more in 2007, and rightfully so.

Comments

[LocklandSF]

And we lose another one of The 25.

It's was Trot's time to go, JD Drew or not, but I'm going to miss him so damn much.

God speed Trot, god speed.

May 28th just became my first "must attend" game of the season.

[Paul SF]

Not many left now -- Manny, Papi, Tek, Wakefield, Schilling, Timlin, Francona, Youkilis (kinda)... Is that really all?

[LocklandSF]

Yup Paul, that is all.

[Shawn]

My favorite Trot moment happened when I was standing outside of the players entrance watching Ortiz and Damon leaving in the multi thousand dollar SUV's and Trot pulled out in a Mini Cooper, rolled down the window and shook some hand and signed some baby's. He was one of us, not a superstar, he will be missed.

[sf rod]

paul- don't forget belli and gabe. i'm still gonna count gabe as he has not left the organization.

thank you trot. whether you were slapping beers off the wall or slapping tanyon sturtze, you left it all on the field every nite.

[LocklandSF]

Mini Cooper? One of us? Huh?

Just kidding, you're right, he was as close to a regular joe you could get to other than The Pro.

[dc]

...yep, he was one of my favorite players too, dirty hat and all...it's a shame that injuries took such a bite out of him, but when he was on, i was as afraid of him as any sox...best of luck to him...

[Brad]

His fights with TB are classic. I love it.

[pastorsteve]

You've got to love a guy who shows up in uniform and gets ejected for arguing a call -- when he's on the DL! He never quit, and he'll be missed.

[attackgerbil]

Out of all the Champion Sox, I think I liked Trot best. Or maybe despised him least. Anyway, count this YF among the set that thinks Trot is a credit to the game.

[LocklandSF]

Seriously, anyone that gets ejected from a game while on the DL is just an animal, not to mention, he was ejected for arguing a HR call hit by his replacement Gabe Kapler.

[LocklandSF]

My other favorite Trot memory was May 28th 2000, Pedro vs. Clemens, both pitched shut outs in to the 9th, 2 outs top of the 9th Trot takes Clemens deep to right, Pedro holds for the win.

He did it one other time to Clemens too, I just don't remember what game.

[Brad]

or the bases clearing triple during the WS, which is what I'll always rememeber the most. Oh well, can't keep a guy who plays 50 games a year.

[Paul SF]

Unless he bats less than .200 and can catch a knuckleball...

[Kazz]

This completely sucks. I recently got a little black lab puppy, and we named him Trot. Next thing we know, the real Trot is leaving the team.

Maybe we should have named him Theo...

[Paul SF]

At least it's because the Sox essentially let him go, and he's leaving on good terms, and he's not going to the Yankees.

A friend of mine got a puppy and named him Damon about two weeks before Christmas 2005. Now THAT sucks.

Thankfully, Manny has remained with the team long enough for our cat to embody the name. Now I don't even think of ManRam when I call the cat.

[SF]

Do you mean the 2004 Sox? The 2003 Sox' season involved someone named "Boone", if memory serves...

[Paul SF]

The 2003 Sox were the team that began the ride that ended with the '04 championship.

[Hudson]

Not to beat a dead horse, but... someone please haul Trigger's corpse over so I can just say that the 2003 Sox should have won the World Series. They were arguably as good or better than the '04 crew, but I remain of the camp that thinks that Grady Little did indeed postpone the Holy Moment by a year -- and not only because of the Pedro gaffe. (Take a look at how many one-run games the Sox lost in 2003...)

[ettett]

First time poster - along with everyone else I knew Trot was gone long before last season ended, but this still hurts. Yanks fans might scoff, but you'll feel the same way when Bernie finally leaves. I'm a midwesterner raised on the Sox by a South Boston raised father, and my first ever games at Fenway were at the end of the 98 season against the Orioles. I sat in righfield where a childhood hero Dwight Evans played and everyone was talking about this "young man" Trot Nixon. Trot was nails, a great teammate, the original Dirt Dog. Wish I had something more original to say than thanks, and good luck.

[dc]

...kazz, what makes you think theo is going to last much longer?...you gave your dog the right name, after a real sox hero...doesn't matter who nixon plays for really, you can still root for him...and ettett, i don't see any yf's scoffing...we know how you feel...the sox made a business decision [that i don't particularly argree with, and think may be one of their worst], and it hurts true fans like you and the other guys posting here...i feel bad for sf's, and i mean that with all sincerity...

[Chris]

Trot Nixon was on steroids.

[DAW]

"...I can just say that the 2003 Sox should have won the World Series"

And if Tony Clark's ground rule double had stayed in play,the Yanks would have won the 2004 ALCS;

but for one number, I would have won the Mega Millions Jackpot last week;

if not for that interception/fumble, the Chargers would be playing the colts tomorrow...

C'mon.

[DAW]

Sorry, Hudson, I overreacted; I can't see how the 2004 team, with Schilling and Foulke, wasn't by far superior to the '03 edition...

[Brad]

[that i don't particularly argree with, and think may be one of their worst
_____________

Dc,
Explain this.

[Jim in CT SF]

First time poster.
I sure hope we give Trot the tear-jerker, Pedro-style video retrospective and show our appreciation/really mess with his head when he comes back here with the Indians. So here's hoping Trot (a) stays healthy, (b) maxes out his PA bonuses, and (c) finds his power stroke again, somewhere else but here. Well OK, maybe one here with nobody on and down a bunch of runs.

[dc]

brad: 1 year $3m

[Lar]

I thought one-run records were up to luck? Did they change that lately?

[dc]

...only when it's convenient...

[Rob (Middletown, CT)]

"My other favorite Trot memory was May 28th 2000, Pedro vs. Clemens, both pitched shut outs in to the 9th, 2 outs top of the 9th Trot takes Clemens deep to right, Pedro holds for the win."

That was a great game. If memory serves, Bernie flied out to the wall in right (caught by... Trot Nixon) with 2 on in the 9th to end it. Right to the wall... soooooo close to being a game-winning 3-run HR.

Now I gotta check retrosheet to see if I'm right...

[Rob (Middletown, CT)]

Heh, I was close:

"YANKEES 9TH: Knoblauch was hit by a pitch; Jeter singled to
right [Knoblauch to second]; O'Neill struck out; Williams flied
to right [Knoblauch to third]; Jeter stole second; Posada was
hit by a pitch; Martinez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Red Sox 2, Yankees 0."

Bernie did narrowly miss a 3-run dinger, but he was only the 2nd out. They had the bases juiced for Tino. A single would've tied it.

What a game.