Trot Nixon

I try not to get sentimental about baseball moves, because a lot of times it's pretty cut and dry - it's either a good move or a bad move for your team, and the numbers bear that out. But Trot Nixon is a different story. He's the first Red Sox player I remember following from the first day of his career, going through the ups and downs, cheering a little harder for him because he seemed like a regular guy who was really one of us, even though he grew up in North Carolina.

So I'm taking the news that he signed with the Indians pretty hard. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for him. Cleveland has just as good a chance as anyone in the tough AL Central to make the playoffs this year, and as strong as that division is, he should have a lot of tense, playoff-type atmosphere games against the Twins, White Sox, and Tigers. I'm not saying it will be the same as playing at Fenway, especially against the Yankees, but it should be exciting.

Thanks, Trot. Thanks for that bases-loaded double in Game Four. Thanks for standing up to the Devil Rays and tossing your bat at Ryan Rupe. Thanks for your post-wild-card-clinching celebratory Stone Cold Steve Austin impersonation in the Sox locker room in 2003. And most of all, thank you for the graduation night, game-winning, ninth-inning homer off of Clemens in 2000, sealing the shutout win for Pedro. Not only did I win my bet with Andy Osborne, but my mom, step-dad, and half-brother were there watching the game with Ross' whole family. That was a pretty sweet day.

Good luck in Cleveland. I'll do everything I can to be at Fenway on May 28 to give you the standing O you deserve.