Roger Nelson
Born: 6/7/1944 in Altadena, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1967-09-09 | Final Game: 1976-09-23
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 200 lbs
Full name: Roger Eugene Nelson
Biography
Roger Nelson, born in 1944, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1967 until his retirement in 1976. Known for his effective pitching style, Nelson finished his career with a record of 29-32 and an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 3.06. Over the course of his tenure in Major League Baseball, he accumulated 371 strikeouts and recorded 4 saves, showcasing his ability to both start games and come in for critical relief appearances.
Nelson played during a transformative period in baseball, which included the transition from the deadball era into a more offense-driven game. His ability to maintain a sub-3.10 ERA highlights his effectiveness on the mound, as he consistently challenged hitters with a solid repertoire of pitches. Although not among the most celebrated pitchers of his time, Nelson's contributions on the field were significant, and he remains a respected figure among fans and historians of the game.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 32 | 135 | 77 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 636.3 | 516 | 216 | 44 | 190 | 371 | 3.06 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | CHW | AL | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1.29 | - |
| 1968 | BAL | AL | 4 | 3 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 71.0 | 49 | 19 | 26 | 70 | 2.41 | 1582.3 |
| 1969 | KCR | AL | 7 | 13 | 29 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 193.3 | 170 | 71 | 65 | 82 | 3.31 | - |
| 1970 | KCR | AL | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 10.00 | - |
| 1971 | KCR | AL | 0 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34.0 | 35 | 20 | 5 | 29 | 5.29 | - |
| 1972 | KCR | AL | 11 | 6 | 34 | 19 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 173.3 | 120 | 40 | 31 | 120 | 2.08 | - |
| 1973 | CIN | NL | 3 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 54.7 | 49 | 21 | 24 | 17 | 3.46 | -871.5 |
| 1974 | CIN | NL | 4 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 85.3 | 67 | 32 | 35 | 42 | 3.38 | -648.1 |
| 1976 | KCR | AL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.7 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2.08 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 135 | 180 | 12 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 58 | 0.128 | 0.177 | 0.139 | 0.316 | -1046.7 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | CHW | AL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1968 | BAL | AL | 19 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0.062 | 0.0 |
| 1969 | KCR | AL | 29 | 58 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0.138 | -499.6 |
| 1970 | KCR | AL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1971 | KCR | AL | 13 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.333 | 0.0 |
| 1972 | KCR | AL | 34 | 54 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 0.093 | -547.0 |
| 1973 | CIN | NL | 14 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.111 | 0.0 |
| 1974 | CIN | NL | 14 | 28 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0.179 | 0.0 |
| 1976 | KCR | AL | 3 | 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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | NLCS | CIN | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | NLCS | CIN | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 135 | 77 | 43 | 103 | 8 | 8 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | CHA | P | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1968 | BAL | P | 19 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | KCA | P | 29 | 29 | 19 | 25 | 5 | 3 |
| 1970 | KCA | P | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | KCA | P | 13 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | KCA | P | 34 | 19 | 8 | 33 | 1 | 1 |
| 1973 | CIN | P | 14 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
| 1974 | CIN | P | 14 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| 1976 | KCA | P | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 135 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount San Antonio College | Walnut | CA | 1963 |