Dirt Dog

Last updated

Dirt dog is an athletic nickname given to certain baseball players who are considered "scrappy" or blue-collar, hard working and tenacious and generally rough around the edges. In Boston, it was used to describe former Right Fielder Trot Nixon. Nixon gained great popularity with Red Sox fans for this particular style of play. He is considered by Red Sox fans as emblematic of the term for his gritty play, as well as his often dirty uniform, ballcap, and pine tar caked helmet. The term's usage is not limited to the Red Sox organization and is used broadly throughout the sport.

The first written documentation of the term has been cited with former Sox pitcher Paul Quantrill. Quantrill was quoted as saying, "...if they can keep it close, this pack of 'dirt dogs' will find a way to win."

The BostonDirtDogs.com blog, which is owned by the New York Times Company (and affiliated with The Boston Globe ), started out as a Boston Red Sox fan website.


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Red Sox</span> American Major League Baseball franchise in Massachusetts

The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. Founded in 1901 as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the team's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since 1912. The "Red Sox" name was chosen by the team owner, John I. Taylor, c. 1908, following the lead of previous teams that had been known as the "Boston Red Stockings", including the Boston Braves. The team has won nine World Series championships, tied for the third-most of any MLB team, and has played in 13 World Series. Their most recent World Series appearance and win was in 2018. In addition, they won the 1904 American League pennant, but were not able to defend their 1903 World Series championship when the New York Giants refused to participate in the 1904 World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Sea Dogs</span> Minor League Baseball team in Maine

The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curse of the Bambino</span> Superstition in American baseball

The Curse of the Bambino was a superstitious sports curse in Major League Baseball (MLB) derived from the 86-year championship drought of the Boston Red Sox between 1918 and 2004. The superstition was named after Babe Ruth, colloquially known as "The Bambino", who played for the Red Sox until he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1920. While some fans took the curse seriously, most used the expression in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curt Schilling</span> American baseball player (born 1966)

Curtis Montague Schilling is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher and commentator for media outlet BlazeTV. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a World Series appearance in 1993, and won championships in 2001 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in 2004 and 2007 with the Boston Red Sox, being named a co-winner of the World Series MVP in 2001. Schilling retired with a career postseason record of 11–2, and his .846 postseason winning percentage is a major-league record among pitchers with at least ten decisions. He is a member of the 3,000 strikeout club and has the highest strikeout-to-walk ratio of any of its inactive members. He is tied at third place for the most 300-strikeout seasons.

Paul John Quantrill is a Canadian former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons, from 1992 to 2005; his longest tenure was six seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. Quantrill appeared in 80 or more games five times, led his league in pitching appearances for four consecutive seasons, and did not walk more than 25 batters in a season from 1996 onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 American League Championship Series</span> 34th edition of Major League Baseballs American League Championship Series

The 2003 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was played between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees from October 8 to 16, 2003. The Yankees won the series four games to three to advance to the World Series, where they lost in six games to the National League champion Florida Marlins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pawtucket Red Sox</span> American minor league professional baseball team

The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. They played their home games at McCoy Stadium, and won four league championships, their last in 2014. Following the 2020 season, the franchise moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, to become the Worcester Red Sox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trot Nixon</span> American baseball player

Christopher Trotman "Trot" Nixon is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1996 through 2008, primarily with the Boston Red Sox from 1996 through 2006, where he was a fan favorite for his scrappy play. With the Red Sox, he won the 2004 World Series. His career wound down with limited appearances for the Cleveland Indians in 2007 and the New York Mets in 2008. He currently serves as co-host/analyst for "The 5th Quarter," a high school football highlight show on WWAY-TV in his hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Youkilis</span> American baseball player (born 1979)

Kevin Edmund Youkilis, nicknamed "Youk", is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman, who primarily played for the Boston Red Sox. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he was drafted by the Red Sox in 2001, after playing college baseball at the University of Cincinnati. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Red Sox, the Chicago White Sox, and the New York Yankees. He later served as a special assistant to the Chicago Cubs and former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tessie</span> Two songs associated with the Boston Red Sox

"Tessie" is both the longtime anthem of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s Boston Red Sox and a 2004 song by the punk rock group Dropkick Murphys. The original "Tessie" was from the 1902 Broadway musical The Silver Slipper. The newer song, written in 2004, recounts how the singing of the original "Tessie" by the Royal Rooters fan club helped the Boston Americans win the first World Series in 1903. The name Tessie itself is a diminutive form used with several names, including Esther, Tess, and Theresa/Teresa.

Red Sox Nation is a term used for fans of the Boston Red Sox. The phrase was coined by Boston Globe feature writer Nathan Cobb in an October 20, 1986, article about split allegiances among fans in Connecticut during the 1986 World Series between the Red Sox and the New York Mets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 American League Championship Series</span> 35th edition of Major League Baseballs American League Championship Series

The 2004 American League Championship Series was the Major League Baseball playoff series deciding the 2004 season American League champion earning the privilege to play in the 2004 World Series. A rematch of the 2003 American League Championship Series, it was played between the Boston Red Sox, who had won the AL wild card and defeated the Anaheim Angels in the American League Division Series, and the New York Yankees, who had won the AL East with the best record in the AL and defeated the Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox became the first team in MLB history to come back from a 3–0 series deficit to win a best-of-seven series. Prior to the 2004 ALCS, no MLB team had so much as forced a Game 7 under those circumstances – and only one team since 2004 has been able to do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Victoria Snelgrove</span> 2004 police shooting of an American student

Victoria E. Snelgrove was an American journalism student at Emerson College in Boston, who died after being shot by officer Rochefort Milien of the Boston Police Department using a less-lethal weapon. The shooting took place following the victory of the Boston Red Sox over the New York Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series. In 2005, the city of Boston reached a $5.1 million wrongful death settlement with Snelgrove's family. After filing a wrongful death suit for $10 million against FN Herstal, the family agreed to an out-of-court settlement in June of 2006; the final amount of the settlement was not disclosed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haywood Sullivan</span> American baseball player, manager, and executive (1930-2003)

Haywood Cooper Sullivan was an American college and professional baseball player who was a catcher, manager, general manager and club owner in Major League Baseball. From May 23, 1978, through November 23, 1993, he was a general partner in the Boston Red Sox, where he parlayed a $200,000 investment into a cash out of at least $12 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russ Nixon</span> American baseball player and manager

Russell Eugene Nixon was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1957 to 1968. A veteran of 55 years in professional baseball, Nixon managed at virtually every level of the sport, from the lowest minor league to MLB assignments with the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed, and stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighed 190 pounds (86 kg) in his playing days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 American League Championship Series</span> 30th edition of Major League Baseballs American League Championship Series

The 1999 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was a matchup between the East Division Champion New York Yankees (98–64) and the Wild Card Boston Red Sox (94–68). The Yankees had advanced to the Series after sweeping the West Division Champion Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series for the second consecutive year, and the Red Sox advanced by beating the Central Division Champion Cleveland Indians three games to two. The Yankees won the series, 4-1. They won their 36th American League pennant and went on to win the World Series against the Atlanta Braves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Boston Red Sox season</span> Major League Baseball team season

The 2004 Boston Red Sox season was the 104th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. Managed by Terry Francona, the Red Sox finished with a 98–64 record, three games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East. The Red Sox qualified for the postseason as the AL wild card, swept the Anaheim Angels in the ALDS, and faced the Yankees in the ALCS for the second straight year. After losing the first three games to the Yankees and trailing in the ninth inning of the fourth game, the Red Sox became the first team in major league history to come back from a three-game postseason deficit, defeating the Yankees in seven games. The Red Sox then swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, capturing their first championship since 1918.

The 1994 Boston Red Sox season was the 94th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The season was cut short by the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike, and there was no postseason. When the strike started on August 12, the Red Sox were in fourth place in the American League East with a record of 54 wins and 61 losses, 17 games behind the New York Yankees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcester Red Sox</span> Minor league baseball team

The Worcester Red Sox are a professional minor league baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Beginning play in 2021, the team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, succeeding the Pawtucket Red Sox. The team competes in the International League, known as the Triple-A East for the 2021 season, and plays home games at Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rays–Red Sox rivalry</span> Major League Baseball rivalry

The Rays–Red Sox rivalry is a Major League Baseball (MLB) rivalry between the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox clubs. The rivalry intensified in 2008, after the two clubs had their first postseason meeting in the ALCS. Since then, both teams have won the American League (AL) East division a combined seven times in the past 13 years. While the rivalry is more recent than the storied Yankees–Red Sox rivalry, it has been called one of the most competitive in modern baseball.