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Boston's Original Dirt Dog: Here's to You, Mr. Nixon

October 20, 2006

by William Karas

As I sat in front of my television set this past weekend, watching the Detroit Tigers clinch the American League Pennant, I thought to myself, “finally, a true underdog story.”

No more rich, whiney superstars complaining about who knows what. No more curses being broken. No more steroids and finally, no more doubters.

While the world (and yes this includes me) went for the obvious picks such as the New York Yankees or even the Minnesota Twins, Detroit fans finally can say that they are a baseball town.

However, when one dissects the Tigers roster, one thing they don’t have is big, famous household names. Sure you have the veterans such a Kenny Rogers and Ivan Rodriguez, but other than that Tigers are a mix of young talented athletes and gritty determined veterans. Obviously, Jim Leyland’s presence has been the catalyst to the Tigers’ recent surge however any baseball analyst would agree that the Tigers’ no-nonsense, team first philosophy has been the glue that has kept them together.

As we find ourselves being injected further and further into the playoff races, as a resident of Boston, it’s hard not to still hear about the hometown team: the Boston Red Sox.

Sox fans are still shaking their heads and wondering how a team with so much talent wasn’t able to get themselves into the postseason.

Personally, while some might be going into the winter thinking of names such as Barry Zito, or Carlos Lee, I think that there should be one name that should be a given a little more attention. While the stars such as David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are usually the ones stuck in the spotlight, the BoSox are saying goodbye to a player who best signified the same grit, determination, and team philosophy that the current AL Champions so proudly represent.

That player is Christopher Trotman Nixon, or more commonly known as Trot. After spending 10 glorious years in the Red Sox organization, Trot Nixon’s contract most likely will not be renewed and it is now almost certain the soft-spoken right fielder will leave Fenway Park in search of friendlier confines.
To many baseball fans, losing a middle-of-the-order, aging outfielder doesn’t seem like it would cause much of a problem.

Yet to anyone who knows the BoSox knows what Trot Nixon brings to the team. While his stats are less than impressive (he only had 75 RBIs or more and 20 or more homeruns in three seasons), he had a calm and relaxed presence and maintained stability both on the playing field and inside a clubhouse that consists of several unique characters, to say the least.

Trot represented the essence of a true team player. He never complained about where he played or what place in the order he hit. He never complained about money or clashed with the fans. He simply jogged out every day to right field, stood quietly and gave every ounce of effort he possessed on every play he was involved in.

When someone on the team was being disrespected, he was the first one to run onto the field trying to take matters into his own hands.

Whether it was coming up with a timely hit or running down line drives by Pesky’s Pole, Nixon never gave up and his grit and determination were the reasons he became such a beloved figure in Boston. To Red Sox fans, he was the inspiration for the term “dirt dog.”

Let’s face it; Boston has its many characters. Whether it was the wild (and now hated) Johnny Damon, the unpredictable Manny Ramirez, or the extremely outspoken Curt Schilling, Boston fans considered Trot Nixon’s selfless competitiveness to be a breath of fresh air.

To Boston, he was just a player who played baseball and didn’t bring any of the emotional baggage that today’s superstars tend to have.

Many baseball fans outside of Boston will not pay much attention to Trot Nixon’s departure. But as the Red Sox crushed the Baltimore Orioles 9 to zero in the series finale, Boston finally took the attention off of Big Papi, off of Manny and put it on Nixon.

As Trot marched up to the plate in the first inning, to the familiar tune of Johnny Cash’s “Walk the Line” which has become synonymous with his presence, the crowd rose to its feat and applauded the 32-year-old North Carolina native. And finally, after 10 years of walking in the shadow of the cities legends, Nixon got his well-deserved curtain call. But while other more extroverted players might have made a more extravagant exit, Nixon simply stepped out of the batter’s box, looked to the crowd and tipped his baseball helmet, showing a subtle smirk that perfectly displayed his gratitude and respect for his surrogate hometown.

While non-Boston fans might not care about Nixon’s departure, any knowledgeable baseball fan should at least be able to realize the importance of a player like Nixon.

We’ve seen it time and time again in every domain of sports. Champions are made of stars, but those stars have to have a supporting cast if they want to reach their full potential.

Whether it be players like Scott Brocious for the Yankees, or Shane Battier for this past summer’s Team USA basketball, teams need an athlete that always put the team before themselves.

Teams thrive on the effort and selflessness of their gritty players and we have seen, time after time, these players come up big in the clutch. Red Sox fans can think back to Aaron Boone to further prove that theory.

So while Boston fans will be wondering who will be patrolling Pesky’s Poll next spring, another one of the 31 baseball crazed cities will have the privilege of acquiring the services of Nixon.

While his bat may be dormant, and his legs and muscles starting to become heavier and heavier, there isn’t a baseball aficionado out there who wouldn’t like to have the warm presence and calming smile of a true team player.

The question for Red Sox fans is who will fill the role that Nixon occupied during his tenure on the team. Which player will step up away from the limelight, step into the lineup and simply jog out and play baseball? Because when you take away the emotional baggage, when you take away the controversy, when you take away the money disputes, all you have left is a baseball player. That was what Trot Nixon was in every sense of the word. Now it’s my turn to tip my cap to you.