Jim Nelson (baseball), Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetJim Nelson (baseball)
American baseball player
Date of Birth: 04-Jul-1947
Place of Birth: Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Date of Death: 22-Aug-2004
Profession: baseball player
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Cancer 
About Jim Nelson (baseball)
- James Lorin Nelson (July 4, 1947 – August 22, 2004) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970 and 1971. Nelson was born in Birmingham, Alabama.
- The Pirates selected him in the 31st round of the 1965 amateur draft.
- His debut for the Pirates on May 30, 1970 was memorable.
- He relieved Gene Garber in the fifth inning of a game at Forbes Field against the San Francisco Giants, struck out Willie Mays, and got Willie McCovey to hit into a double play; he finished that appearance with three perfect innings pitched and four strikeouts, and hit a single in his only plate appearance.Nelson started his career with a 4-0 record for the Pirates in 1970, a feat not equaled by a Pirates starting pitcher until Zach Duke in 2005.
- Nelson also was the last Pirate pitcher to win his first 3 career starts until Gerrit Cole matched the feat in 2013.Nelson also was the starting and winning pitcher in the final game played at Forbes Field on June 28, 1970.
- He commented on the fans' frenzy at the end of that game: "After the game, the fans stormed the field and took everything, grass, bases, numbers off the scoreboard.
- I even saw some old ladies with parts of chairs.
- It was a real scene."Nelson appeared in 15 games for the Pirates in 1970 and 17 games in 1971, both as a starter and a reliever.
- He struggled with control in 1971, walking 26 batters in 34 innings.
- In July, he was demoted to the minor leagues, but refused to report to his minor-league team.
- Although his teammates voted him a half-share of their 1971 World Series money, Pirates management did not award him a World Series ring.
- He underwent rotator cuff surgery and never returned to the majors.Nelson was a good-hitting pitcher, with 7 hits in 26 career at bats for a batting average of .269.After retiring from baseball, Nelson became a produce salesman.
- He died unexpectedly at his Sacramento, California home at age 57 in 2004.
Read more at Wikipedia