On
May 28, 2000, he belted a two-run home run in the top of the ninth at Yankee Stadium in a duel between then-teammate
Pedro Martinez and ex-Red Sox pitcher
Roger Clemens that was won 2-0 by the Red Sox.
Trot had a career-best year in
2003 when he batted .306 with 24
doubles and 28
home runs. In game 3 of the AL Division Series, Nixon was called from the bench as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the 11th. With the Red Sox facing elimination, Nixon lined a two-run homer over the center field wall for a 3-1 Boston victory.
During the
2004 Red Sox season, Nixon was unavailable for several months due to a
herniated disc and a tight thigh muscle. Upon his return, he generally worked as the starting
right fielder throughout the regular and post-season. In the deciding game of the
2004 World Series, Nixon laced a two-out, two-run double off the right field wall at
Busch Stadium in St. Louis in the top of the third inning to give Boston a 3-0 lead. Those were the last runs scored by either team in that game as the Red Sox swept the Cardinals for the team's first World Series title in 86 years. For the series, Nixon batted .357 and drove in three runs.
He also endeared himself to Sox fans by briefly wearing a
mohawk hairstyle, one of the many unconventional and bizarre hairstyles sported by the Red Sox over the course of the 2004 season.
Trot Nixon is considered the inspiration for the expression
"Boston Dirt Dogs". The signature is that of a "scrapper", a player who hustles and isn't afraid to get dirty to win a game.
Loved by Boston's fans, Nixon is known for an extremely volatile temper and steadfast dedication to his teammates. In August, 2005, while officially on the disabled list, Nixon remained in uniform and in the dugout with the rest of the team during the game. When teammate
Gabe Kapler (who often acted as Nixon's right field replacement) hit a long fly ball off of the
Green Monster, the umpires ruled it a double. Nixon leapt off the bench and argued with such passion that Kapler's hit had been a home run (television replays confirmed that the hit had landed above the home run line, and thus should have been ruled a two-run homer) that he was ejected from the game.
On
October 1, 2006, with two outs in the fifth inning of the final game of the season, manager
Terry Francona replaced Nixon in right field with rookie
David Murphy. Knowing Nixon might be playing his final game with the Sox, the fans delivered a grateful ovation to Nixon as he ran off the field. Said Nixon, when asked if it was difficult playing what may have been his last game for the Red Sox:
Following the 2006 season, Nixon was not offered salary arbitration by the Red Sox as the team pursued and eventually signed free agent
J.D. Drew, coupled with the fact that Boston had a fourth outfielder,
Wily Mo Peña, on the roster.
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/12/02/no_arbitration_for_nixon On January 19, 2007, Nixon signed a one year, $3 million dollar contract with the
Cleveland Indians.
Instead of going with the number seven, which he wore during his entire career in Boston, Nixon has already chosen to wear number 33 for Cleveland in 2007; the decision was made in part by his son Chase, who chose the number based on the fact that Nixon will turn 33 years of age in April.
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