WORCESTER — It wasn’t until a former teammate mentioned it to him, that it hit Trot Nixon that 20 years had passed since the 2004 Red Sox won the World Series ending the franchise’s 86-year championship drought.
“I didn’t know it until Derek Lowe, of all people, told me about it. I was like ‘What are you talking about 20 years?’” Nixon said last week before taking part in the Worcester Red Sox Opening Day ceremonies at Polar Park. “It just didn’t dawn on me.”
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Nixon, who will celebrate his 50th birthday on Thursday will first celebrate that 20th anniversary on Tuesday when the Red Sox honor that 2004 team at their home opener at Fenway Park.
“To be able to come back here and open the season up, it’s amazing how fast time flies. I can’t believe it’s 20 years. It’s a reminder of how old I’m getting,” said Nixon, whose sons Chase and Luke are college baseball players at North Carolina State now. “It’s going to be a lot of fun to reconnect with a lot of players I haven’t seen in years, some of I may not have seen in 20 years.”
Nixon said his glove, shoes and the hat he wore and a bat he used in the 2004 World Series are on display in his house. He played 12 years in the majors and while he played a season for Cleveland in 2007 and 11 games for the Mets in 2008 to end his career, he naturally thinks of those as an epilogue to his 10-year Red Sox career and that World Series.
“It’s great. For me being able to be on a championship was all I wanted. I wanted to bring a championship to Boston with my teammates. It’s important for the fans,” he said. “These are the people who pushed us on a daily basis. … To be able to play in an atmosphere like Fenway Park for the 10 years that I did was the greatest thrill. I’ve played with guys who played in other organizations, who don’t sell out or had the atmosphere like we had at Fenway. You can’t ever tell somebody how much you appreciate that.”
The Red Sox will also honor Tim and Stacy Wakefield, on Opening Day. Tim Wakefield, who died of cancer on Oct. 1 was a key part of the 2004 championship and he and Stacy, who died in February, were both active in the community for charitable causes.
“I still can’t believe that Timmy isn’t here. I know what he meant to me and what his teammates meant to him,” Nixon said. “I know Wakey will be with us in spirit and so will Stacy.”
