Russ Nixon

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1957-1968)

Russ Nixon was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1957 to 1968 for the Cleveland Guardians, the Boston Red Sox, and the Minnesota Twins, a span of 12 seasons. In 906 career games, he hit .268 with 670 hits, 27 home runs, and 266 RBI.

AVG (Batting Average):
Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
HR (Home Runs):
Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
RBI (Runs Batted In):
Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.

Data updated

AVG .268
HR 27
RBI 266
H 670
OPS .671
PIV -1,884
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
6'1" / 195 lb
Born
2/19/1935 in Cleves, OH, USA
Died
11/9/2016 in Las Vegas, NV, USA
MLB Debut
1957-04-20
Last Game
1968-09-16

Full name: Russell Eugene Nixon

📋 View Manager Career

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Career Batting Statistics

Russ Nixon — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
906 2,504 215 670 115 19 27 266 0 154 279 .268 .310 .361 .671 -1,884

Career AVG .268 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — +6.8% above league average.

Career OBP .310 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .361 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .671 vs. league average .694 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Russ Nixon Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1957 CLE AL 62 185 15 52 7 1 2 18 0 12 12 .281 .257 (+9%) .323 (avg) .391 (-7%) .715 (-4%) -122.9
1958 CLE AL 113 376 42 113 17 4 9 46 0 13 38 .301 .257 (+17%) .324 (-1%) .394 (+11%) .719 (+6%) 292.3
1959 CLE AL 82 258 23 62 10 3 1 29 0 15 28 .240 .256 (-6%) .323 (-14%) .392 (-20%) .715 (-17%) -778.6
1960 CLE AL 25 82 6 20 5 0 1 6 0 6 6 .244 .255 (-4%) .323 (-5%) .387 (-12%) .711 (-9%) -112.7
1960 BOS AL 80 272 24 81 17 3 5 33 0 13 23 .298 .255 (+17%) .323 (+1%) .387 (+13%) .711 (+8%) -112.7
1961 BOS AL 87 242 24 70 12 2 1 19 0 13 19 .289 .258 (+12%) .328 (avg) .399 (-8%) .727 (-5%) -200.5
1962 BOS AL 65 151 11 42 7 2 1 19 0 8 14 .278 .257 (+8%) .326 (-4%) .393 (-6%) .719 (-5%) -147.7
1963 BOS AL 98 287 27 77 18 1 5 30 0 22 32 .268 .246 (+9%) .308 (+6%) .371 (+5%) .680 (+5%) 276.8
1964 BOS AL 81 163 10 38 7 0 1 20 0 14 29 .233 .250 (-7%) .312 (-5%) .377 (-22%) .690 (-14%) -346.9
1965 BOS AL 59 137 11 37 5 1 0 11 0 6 23 .270 .245 (+10%) .310 (-5%) .371 (-14%) .682 (-10%) -234.3
1966 MIN AL 51 96 5 25 2 1 0 7 0 7 13 .260 .248 (+5%) .309 (+2%) .376 (-20%) .685 (-10%) -133.5
1967 MIN AL 74 170 16 40 6 1 1 22 0 18 29 .235 .242 (-3%) .306 (-1%) .357 (-16%) .663 (-9%) -215.1
1968 BOS AL 29 85 1 13 2 0 0 6 0 7 13 .153 .236 (-35%) .298 (-27%) .340 (-48%) .638 (-38%) -452.3
Career · 13 seasons 906 2,504 215 670 115 19 27 266 0 154 279 .268 — — — — -2,288

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (906 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Russ Nixon — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home431114210030112130.264
Away475136211436915136.271

Last 10 Games — Batting

Russ Nixon — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1968-09-16 BOSBALL 100000000
1968-08-25 BOSBALL 000000000
1968-08-23 BOSBALW 401000000
1968-08-17 BOSDETL 511000201
1968-08-16 BOSDETL 301100001
1968-08-15 BOSCHWW 100000010
1968-08-14 BOSCHWW 301000111
1968-08-13 BOSCHWW 400000000
1968-08-12 BOSCHWW 301000000
1968-08-11 BOSDETL 200000020

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Russ Nixon — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
C 722 611 3708 238 47 31

Season-by-Season Fielding

Russ Nixon — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1957 CLE C 57 45 268 31 5 5
1958 CLE C 101 93 499 31 5 4
1959 CLE C 74 68 374 31 6 8
1960 CLE C 25 21 134 8 1 2
1960 BOS C 74 67 354 26 5 3
1961 BOS C 66 59 330 24 9 2
1962 BOS C 38 33 201 7 0 1
1963 BOS C 76 72 483 22 4 1
1964 BOS C 45 41 273 11 3 3
1965 BOS C 38 30 200 10 4 0
1966 MIN C 32 18 137 5 2 0
1967 MIN C 69 41 308 26 2 1
1968 BOS C 27 23 147 6 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Russ Nixon Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Catcher 721

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Russ Nixon (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Al Todd
    .276 avg, 35 HR
  2. 97
    Clyde Kluttz
    .268 avg, 19 HR
  3. 95
    Dave Rader
    .257 avg, 30 HR
  4. 95
    Charlie Berry
    .267 avg, 23 HR
  5. 95
    Ray Fosse
    .256 avg, 61 HR
  6. 93
    Toby Hall
    .262 avg, 46 HR

Russ Nixon: the record in brief

Between the debut on April 20, 1957 and the final game on September 16, 1968, Russ Nixon built the record summarized on this page. By club, Nixon's seasons break down as the Cleveland Indians (1957 through 1960), the Boston Red Sox (1960 through 1968), and the Minnesota Twins (1966 through 1967). Nixon played primarily as a catcher and hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. Born on February 19, 1935, in Cleves, OH, USA, Nixon was listed at 6'1" and 195 pounds. Nixon's death is recorded on November 9, 2016, in Las Vegas, NV, USA. The given name on file is Russell Eugene Nixon.

In 906 games and 2,504 at bats, Nixon batted .268 with 670 hits, plus 27 homers and 266 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .310 clip and slugging .361, Nixon finished with a .671 OPS. Measured against the leagues Nixon played in, the .268 career average compares with a .251 league average over the same seasons, 6.8% above the league. 1958 produced Nixon's most hits, 113 of them for the Cleveland Indians.

Frequently Asked Questions about Russ Nixon

What years did Russ Nixon play?
Russ Nixon played in Major League Baseball from 1957 to 1968.
Was Russ Nixon a pitcher?
No. Russ Nixon was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Russ Nixon hit?
Russ Nixon hit 27 career home runs with 670 hits.
What teams did Russ Nixon play for?
Russ Nixon played for 3 teams: the Cleveland Indians (1957–1960), the Boston Red Sox (1960–1965, 1968), and the Minnesota Twins (1966–1967).
What were Russ Nixon's career stats?
In 906 games, Russ Nixon had 670 hits, 27 home runs, 266 RBI, and 215 runs, with a .268 batting average.
What position did Russ Nixon play?
Russ Nixon played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Russ Nixon and how much did he weigh?
Russ Nixon was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 195 pounds.
How many home runs did Russ Nixon hit each season?
Russ Nixon's home runs by season: 2 in 1957, 9 in 1958, 1 in 1959, 6 in 1960, 1 in 1961, 1 in 1962, 5 in 1963, 1 in 1964, 0 in 1965, 0 in 1966, 1 in 1967, and 0 in 1968. His most in one season was 9, in 1958.
What was Russ Nixon's career batting average?
Russ Nixon batted .268 over his career, with 670 hits in 2,504 at bats.
How many RBI did Russ Nixon have?
Russ Nixon drove in 266 runs in his career.
Is Russ Nixon in the Hall of Fame?
No. Russ Nixon has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.