The Red Sox are trotting out this former fan favorite to throw the first pitch before Game 1 of the ALDS
"He just happens to be one of our favorite people ever."
The Red Sox are waiting for the outcome of Wednesday night’s Wild Card Game between the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics to find out their opponent in the American League Division Series.
But we already know who will be throwing out the ALDS Game 1 first pitch.
The Red Sox announced Wednesday that former outfielder Trot Nixon will take the mound for the ceremonial duties before the team’s 7:32 p.m. game Friday. The 44-year-old played 10 of his 12 MLB seasons in Boston, batting .278 and totaling 133 home runs and one historic 2004 World Series trophy with the team. Nixon retired following the 2008 season.
The North Carolina native and current Wilmington resident is also organizing an effort to collect money at all Fenway Park gates to benefit those affected by Hurricane Florence in his home state. The Wilmington area was hit particularly hard by the storm, which pounded the coastal city with several days of tropical rain and wind. According to the Red Sox, the collection Friday will begin when Fenway Park gates open at 5:32 p.m. and last until the end of the second inning.
But that’s not the only reason Nixon is coming to Boston. The former Red Sox fan favorite also has a history of big postseason moments against both of the team’s potential ALDS opponents.
Down two games to zero in the 2003 ALDS against the Athletics, Nixon hit a pivotal walk-off home run in the 11th inning of Game 3 at Fenway Park to keep the team alive in the series. The Red Sox would go on to win the next two games to take the series.
Nixon also has a number of memorable moments against the Yankees, including his 2005 inside-the-park home run, his game-saving sliding catch in Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS, and his ninth-inning, game-winning home run off Roger Clemens to break a scoreless tie at Yankee Stadium in 2000.
The Red Sox say Nixon’s history of postseason success was a factor when the team was considering him for Friday’s first pitch, along with the opportunity to do something meaningful through the gate collection as his home state recovers from Florence.
“Also, he just happens to be one of our favorite people ever,” Sarah McKenna, the team’s senior vice president in charge of pregame ceremonies, added.
