| Jeff Nelson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1966-11-17)November 17, 1966 (age 59) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 16, 1992, for the Seattle Mariners | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 2, 2006, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Career statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 48–45 |
| Earned run average | 3.41 |
| Strikeouts | 829 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Jeffrey Allan Nelson (born November 17, 1966) is an American sports broadcaster and formerbaseballrelief pitcher who played 15 years inMajor League Baseball (MLB). He batted and threwright-handed. Nelson had two stints with theNew York Yankees, the team with whom he won fourWorld Series championships. Nelson retired from playing in 2007 after signing a minor league contract with the Yankees.[1]
In his MLB career, Nelson pitched in 798 games with a 48–45 win–loss record, and with runners in scoring position and two outs he held batters to a .191batting average against. In 55 postseason games (fourth all time), he compiled a 2–3 record with 62strikeouts and a 2.65earned run average in54+1⁄3innings. Among hitters whom he dominated most wereTroy Glaus, who in 14 at-bats was hitless with 11 strikeouts.[2]
Nelson had three stints with theSeattle Mariners (1992–1995, 2001–2003 and again in 2005). He is Seattle's all-time record holder for mostgames pitched (383), and has a 23–20 record with the Mariners. Nelson is currently a television color analyst for theMiami Marlins.
Nelson grew up in Maryland and played baseball and basketball atCatonsville High School.[3]
Drafted by theLos Angeles Dodgers in the 22nd round of the1984 MLB draft, he signed on June 21, 1984. In 1986, he was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the minor league phase of theRule 5 draft.[4]
Nelson made his major league debut with the Mariners on April 16, 1992, against theChicago White Sox atComiskey Park. He pitched two scoreless innings of relief.[5]
On July 13, 1995, Nelson entered a game against theToronto Blue Jays with two runners on base and no outs. Nelson threw one pitch toSandy Martínez and induced a ground balltriple play.[6] He became the first pitcher in the era for whichpitch count data is available to throw only one pitch in an outing and be credited with pitching a full inning.[7]
In December 1995, the Mariners traded Nelson,Tino Martinez, andJim Mecir to theNew York Yankees forRuss Davis andSterling Hitchcock.[8] With the Yankees, Nelson was a member of theWorld Series champions in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000.[9]
Nelson returned to Seattle as afree agent in2001. In that season he made theAmerican League All-Star team. Nelson's All-Star selection was considered an innovative move by AL managerJoe Torre, as Nelson's role of middle relief was traditionally overlooked during All-Star selection.[10]
From 2001 to 2003, he formed the right side of Seattle's potent lefty/righty setup squad along with left-handed pitcherArthur Rhodes. In 2001, he held opposing batters to a .136 batting average and a .199 slugging percentage, and .074/.110 once he had two strikes on them.[11]
On August 6, 2003, the Mariners traded Nelson to the Yankees forArmando Benitez.[12] The Yankees lost to theFlorida Marlins in theWorld Series and once again Nelson left the Yankees.
In2004, Nelson appeared in 29 games for theTexas Rangers, going 1–2 with a 5.32ERA. He was on the disabled list twice with an assortment of injuries to his right knee and right elbow.
Before the2005 season, the Seattle Mariners signed Nelson to aminor league contract, his third stint with the club.
In the2006 offseason, Nelson signed a minor-league contract with theSt. Louis Cardinals, but was released before the season began. He was then picked up by theWhite Sox.
On June 8, 2006, Nelson announced that he would undergo surgery, to relieve a nerve in his right elbow, that was likely to mark the end of Nelson's active baseball career. Following the operation on his pitching elbow, on May 10, 2007, there was controversy when he tried to sell bone chips from his elbow, removed in the operation, oneBay who cancelled the auction. Nelson, whose daughters attendedThe Bear Creek School, were going to give half the proceeds to the school and half to the Curtis Williams Foundation.[13]
Nelson signed a minor league contract with the Yankees in January 2007 so that he could officially retire as a Yankee.[9]
Nelson was a respectedslider specialist, much more effective against right-handed batters than against lefties (who batted 55 points higher, and slugged 106 points higher, against him than did righties). He was also known for his three-quarters sidearm delivery, and threw a cut 90-mile per hourfastball as well. During his Yankees tenure, he was known for faking a throw to third base and then throwing to first base in an attempt to pick off the baserunner. Until the rule was changed in 2013, making a fake throw to third base a balk,[14] this was referred to as "the old Jeff Nelson" by Yankees play-by-play broadcasterMichael Kay.[15]
Nelson has filled in on sports radioKJR-AM inSeattle and also worked as an analyst forMLB.com during the 2010 post-season.
In 2016, Nelson joinedFox Sports' pre-game broadcast team forMiami Marlins.[16] In 2019, Nelson served as a game analyst for theYES Network, calling occasional games for his former team. On July 12, 2019, Nelson began appearing on the YES Network's pregame show.[citation needed] He substituted forSuzyn Waldman onWFAN broadcasts of the final games of the Yankees regular season in October 2022, working withJohn Sterling.[17]
Nelson left the YES Network after the 2025 season.
