Mel Nelson
Born: 5/30/1936 in San Diego, CA, USA
Died: 11/26/2021 in Highland, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1960-09-27 | Final Game: 1969-06-02
Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 185 lbs
Full name: Melvin Frederick Nelson
Biography
Mel Nelson was a professional baseball pitcher born in 1936, who played in Major League Baseball from 1960 until his retirement in 1969. Over the course of his career, Nelson appeared in various roles on the mound, contributing to his teams with a mix of starting and relief appearances. He finished his career with a record of 4-10, an earned run average (ERA) of 4.4, and recorded 98 strikeouts, along with 5 saves.
Nelson's playing career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball history, marked by the emergence of new talent and the evolving strategies of the game. Though he may not have achieved superstardom, his contributions to his teams reflected the hard work and determination characteristic of pitchers of his era. Nelson's ability to manage games and deliver critical performances in high-pressure situations underscored the importance of depth in a pitching staff, especially during a time when the game was rapidly changing and evolving.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 10 | 93 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 173.7 | 184 | 85 | 19 | 69 | 98 | 4.40 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | STL | NL | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3.38 | - |
| 1963 | LAA | AL | 2 | 3 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 52.7 | 55 | 31 | 32 | 41 | 5.30 | -1500.9 |
| 1965 | MIN | AL | 0 | 4 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 54.7 | 57 | 25 | 23 | 31 | 4.12 | -1272.6 |
| 1967 | MIN | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 54.00 | 0.0 |
| 1968 | STL | NL | 2 | 1 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 52.7 | 49 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 2.91 | - |
| 1969 | STL | NL | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 11.81 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | 34 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0.147 | 0.171 | 0.147 | 0.318 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | STL | NL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.500 | 0.0 |
| 1963 | LAA | AL | 39 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.091 | 0.0 |
| 1965 | MIN | AL | 28 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.111 | 0.0 |
| 1967 | MIN | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1968 | STL | NL | 18 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1969 | STL | NL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | WS | SLN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | WS | SLN | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 93 | 11 | 7 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | SLN | P | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1963 | LAA | P | 36 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | MIN | P | 28 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | MIN | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | SLN | P | 18 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | SLN | P | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 93 |