Trot Nixon: The end of an era

For eight seasons Trot Nixon was one of the faces of the Red Sox franchise. With his hard nosed, "Dirt Dog" style of play, he quickly became a popular player with the passionate Boston baseball fans. He never complained about lack of playing time, never sulked when injured, and was always doing something to help the community. Nixon was never a superstar for the Red Sox, but he had a few very good seasons and was always a consistent player, when not injured. Nixon has been dealt a lot of bad luck, especially in the past few seasons, and has missed a lot of time due to injuries.

While one of the memorable moments of Nixon's career, especially for non-Red Sox fans, is the time he threw a ball into the stands against the Angels, when there were only two outs, Nixon is known in Red Sox nation as a gritty player who has come through in the clutch many times. His 133 career home runs does not seem great, but that number would be higher if not for the injuries.

Nixon is expected to file for free agency after the World Series, when players are allowed to. The Red Sox could pursue Nixon, but most likely will not, as the team has a two young outfielders, David Murphy and Wily Mo Pena, ready to step in and play in right field and also could pursue a free agent outfielder. With Nixon in the decline of his career and because of his injury history, it appears that the era of Trot in right field at Fenway is now over.

Back on October 2nd, Nixon played what could be his final game as a Red Sox player at Fenway park. While he is a man who does not often wear his emotions on his sleeve, Nixon stopped at home plate and tipped his helmet to the fans, showing appreciation for their years of cheers.

"I love this city, I love the people who have made this organization what it is right now. The front office, they understand that, they know that and if it doesn’t work out maybe there’s an opportunity later in my career where I can still come back and be a part of this organization. I would love to play my entire career with one team. I would love to end my career here," Nixon said after the game.

Nixon is a player who is loved by both the fans and his teammates. Manager Terry Francona also feels that Trot will be missed, " It’s hard not to be close to players like Trot. He’d run through a wall for you."

Whether Nixon returns to the Red Sox or not, he will be a player that will always have a special place in the hearts of Red Sox fans.