For the third consecutive month in a row a famous athlete from Wilmington is being honored for their career and impact on the game.
In November we told that U.S Mint and Treasury Department will put tennis great Althea Gibson on a quarter in 2024. In December we reported on discussions to build a Michael Jordan museum in downtown Wilmington. This month the honors are going to baseball Trot Nixon. The Boston Red Sox announced that Nixon will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in an event scheduled for Wednesday, May 29, The following day, during pre-game ceremonies, Nixon will also be honored before a game at Fenway Park against the Detroit Tigers.
Nixon played 12 years in the Majors, including 10 seasons with the Red Soxs (1996 to 2006.) The scrappy right fielder was part of the 2004 Red Sox World Series team. He was a career 274 hitter with 555 RBI’s and 137 home runs
Nixon attended New Hanover High School. As a senior, he was named the State Player of the Year in both football and baseball. In football, as a senior, he broke school passing records held by former NFL quarterbacks Sonny Jurgensen and Roman Gabriel. In baseball, as a senior, he was named the Baseball America High School Player of the Year and the State Player of the Year, and helped lead his team to the State 4A title.
After retiring from the majors Nixon returned to the Wilmington area. In the fall he co-hosts a high school football highlight show on WWAY -TV