Donell Nixon
Robert Donell Nixon is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of four seasons in the Major League Baseball, from until. He played all three outfield positions, most often in center field.
Playing career
Mariners organization
Minor leagues
Nixon was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 10th round of the 1980 [Major League Baseball Draft|1980 MLB draft] out of West Columbus High School in Cerro Gordo, North Carolina. He began his professional career the following season with the Wausau Timbers of the Single-A Midwest League. He spent most of the next two seasons at Single-A as well. In, while with the Bakersfield Mariners Nixon stole 144 bases in just 135 games, one short of the minor league record of 145 by Vince Coleman set the same year.In, Nixon was promoted to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, where he continued to impress on the basepaths, stealing 102 bases. Unfortunately, he suffered a compound fracture in his left leg in, which stalled his promising career. The injury cost him almost 2 years of his career but did not take away much of his speed. He ran a 6.25 sixty-yard dash prior to the injury and a 6.3 after.
Major league debut
Despite not playing at all in 1985 and appearing in only 12 games in, Nixon made the Mariners' Opening Day roster. He started the season's first game as Seattle's center fielder and leadoff hitter, coming to the plate four times with two walks and one stolen base. Although he continued to start for the Mariners, Nixon did not get his first hit until the season's fifth game, a run-scoring double off Les Straker. On May 1, with Nixon batting just.130, he was sent back to the minors, where he played for the Triple-A Calgary Cannons, the Mariners' top farm team. He returned to the team in July, and finished with a much more respectable.250 average.Nixon opened the 1988 season with Calgary, where he batted.281 through 40 games. He was then traded to the San Francisco Giants on June 23.