Bob Nieman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bob Nieman |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: January 26, 1927 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Died: March 10, 1985 (aged 58) Corona, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 14, 1951, for the St. Louis Browns | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 1962, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .295 | ||
| Home runs | 125 | ||
| Runs batted in | 544 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .301 | ||
| Home runs | 13 | ||
| Runs batted in | 53 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Robert Charles Nieman (born January 26, 1927 – died March 10, 1985) was an American baseball player and scout. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 seasons. Bob Nieman played for many teams, including the St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, and San Francisco Giants. He also played one season in Japan. Bob was known for batting and throwing with his right hand.
Contents
Meet Bob Nieman: A Baseball Star
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Bob Nieman was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. After going to Kent State University, he started his baseball journey. In 1948, he signed with his hometown Cincinnati Reds team. This meant he joined their "farm system," which is a group of minor league teams. Players develop their skills in these teams before playing in the major leagues.
Bob spent three full seasons playing in the Reds' minor league system. In 1951, he moved to the Oklahoma City Indians team. He played very well there, hitting for a high average of .328. This strong performance helped him win the batting title for the Texas League.
Making History in the Major Leagues
After his success in the minor leagues, the St. Louis Browns bought Bob Nieman. He joined their main team in September 1951. This led to an amazing start to his major league career.
A Record-Breaking Start
On September 14, 1951, Bob Nieman played his first ever major league game. It was at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. In his very first two turns at bat, Bob hit two home runs! He hit a solo home run in the second inning. Then, he hit a two-run home run in the third inning. Both were off the Red Sox pitcher, Mickey McDermott.
Bob also hit a single and brought in three runs that day. Even with his great performance, the Red Sox won the game 9-6. Bob Nieman became the first player in MLB history to hit two home runs in his first game. Only a few other players have ever done this since. He is also one of only two players to hit a home run in each of his first two major league at-bats.
A Solid Career
Bob Nieman became a regular outfielder for the Browns. He later played often for the Tigers and Orioles. Overall, he played for 12 years as an outfielder and a pinch hitter. A pinch hitter is a player who bats in place of another player.
In his career, Bob played 1,113 games. He had a batting average of .295. He hit 125 home runs and brought in 544 runs. He also had 1,018 hits. Bob hit over .300 (a very good batting average) three times in his career.
In his last MLB season in 1962, he helped the San Francisco Giants win the National League pennant. This meant they won their league championship. In the 1962 World Series, Bob had his only chance to play in the postseason. He came in as a pinch hitter in Game 4. He got a base on balls (meaning he got to go to first base without hitting). Then, a pinch runner took his place. This pinch runner later scored a run. The Giants won that game, but they lost the World Series in seven games.
Life After Playing
After he stopped playing baseball, Bob Nieman became a scout. A scout is someone who travels to watch other players. They look for new talent for baseball teams. Bob worked as a scout for over 20 years. He worked for teams like the Indians, Dodgers, Athletics, White Sox, and Yankees. He passed away in Corona, California, at 58 years old.
See also
- Players who hit a home run in their first major league at-bat
