Otis Nixon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Otis Nixon |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Nixon with the Nashville Sounds in 1981
|
|||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: January 9, 1959 Evergreen, North Carolina, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| June 16, 1983, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 1999, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .270 | ||
| Home runs | 11 | ||
| Runs batted in | 318 | ||
| Stolen bases | 620 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
Otis Junior Nixon was born on January 9, 1959. He is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He played as a center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Otis Nixon played for many teams during his career, which lasted from 1983 to 1999. Some of these teams included the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Montreal Expos, and Atlanta Braves. He was known for his incredible speed. In the 1990s, he stole more bases than any other player, with 478 stolen bases. He also holds the record for the most career stolen bases (620) for a player who never played in an MLB All-Star game.
Contents
Otis Nixon's Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Before joining the major leagues, Otis Nixon played in the minor leagues. He was very fast, which helped him steal many bases. In 1980, he led the South Atlantic League with 67 stolen bases. In 1983, he led the International League with 94 stolen bases. He also scored many runs and got many hits.
Nixon started his career as an infielder. But because he was so fast and good at running, he switched to playing in the outfield in 1983. In 1982, he stole an amazing 107 bases while playing for two different minor league teams.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Otis Nixon played for 17 seasons in Major League Baseball. He was part of several teams, including the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Montreal Expos, and the Atlanta Braves. He also played for the Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Minnesota Twins.
On June 16, 1991, Nixon set a Major League record by stealing 6 bases in a single game. He also held the Atlanta Braves' record for most stolen bases in one season, with 72 in 1991. This record was later broken by Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023.
Memorable Moments in Games
Otis Nixon made some exciting plays during his career. On July 25, 1992, he made an amazing catch. He jumped over the outfield wall to stop Andy Van Slyke from hitting a home run. This catch was shown many times on sports news.
Nixon also played in the 1992 World Series. In Game 6, he hit a single in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game. This sent the game into extra innings.
In the 1999 National League Championship Series, when he was 40 years old, Nixon made another key play. He was a pinch runner and stole second base. Then he went to third base when the throw went into center field. He then scored the tying run, helping the Braves win the game and the series.
Career Statistics
During his career, Otis Nixon played in 1,709 games. He had a batting average of .270. He hit 11 home runs and had 318 RBI (runs batted in). He scored 878 runs and got 1,379 hits. He also had 142 doubles, 27 triples, and 620 stolen bases.
In games played after the regular season, called postseason games, Nixon was also very good. He hit .321 and stole 11 bases in 24 games. In the eight World Series games he played, he hit .310 and stole five bases.
Family Life
Otis Nixon's younger brother, Donell Nixon, also played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 1990.
Otis Nixon was married to former R&B singer Perri Reid from 2000 to 2004. He later married gospel artist Candi Staton in 2010. They divorced in 2012.
Images for kids
-
Nixon with the Nashville Sounds in 1981
See also
- List of Major League Baseball stolen base records
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
