Donell Nixon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Donell Nixon |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: December 31, 1961 Evergreen, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 7, 1987, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 1, 1990, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .275 | ||
| Home runs | 4 | ||
| Runs batted in | 35 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Robert Donell Nixon (born December 31, 1961) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He was an Outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of four seasons, from 1987 to 1990. Donell was known for his incredible speed and often played in center field.
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Donell Nixon's Baseball Journey
Donell Nixon started his exciting baseball journey after being picked by the Seattle Mariners in the 10th round of the 1980 MLB draft. He was still in high school at the time!
Amazing Speed in the Minor Leagues
Donell began playing professionally in 1981. He quickly showed off his amazing speed. In 1983, while playing for the Bakersfield Mariners, Donell stole an incredible 144 bases in just 135 games! This was almost a minor league record. The very next year, in 1984, he stole 102 more bases while playing for the Chattanooga Lookouts.
Sadly, Donell suffered a serious leg injury in 1985. This injury kept him from playing for almost two years. But even after his injury, he was still super fast!
Making it to the Major Leagues
After his injury, Donell worked hard to get back on the field. He made it to the Seattle Mariners' main team for Opening Day in 1987. He started as their center fielder and leadoff hitter. Donell got his first MLB hit in his fifth game, which was a double that scored a run.
Later in 1987, he spent some time with the Mariners' top farm team, the Calgary Cannons. He finished the 1987 season with a respectable .250 batting average.
Playing for the San Francisco Giants
In June 1988, Donell was traded to the San Francisco Giants. He immediately joined their major league team. He played in 59 games that season and batted an impressive .348!
The 1989 season was special because it was the only year Donell played the entire season in the major leagues. He even got to play in the 1989 World Series against the Oakland Athletics. This was his only time playing in the postseason.
Time with the Baltimore Orioles
After leaving the Giants, Donell signed with the Baltimore Orioles in 1990. He played in eight games for the Orioles that year, but spent most of his time with their Triple-A team, the Rochester Red Wings. After the 1990 season, Donell became a free agent.
Final Years in Baseball
Donell spent his last three years playing baseball in the Cleveland Indians organization. However, he did not return to the major leagues after 1990.
Personal Life
Donell Nixon is the younger brother of Otis Nixon, who was also a professional baseball Outfielder in MLB.
