Al Nipper

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Al Nipper
San Diego, California, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 6, 1983, for the Boston Red Sox
Last MLB appearance
July 16, 1990, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
Win–loss record46–50
Earned run average4.52
Strikeouts381
Teams

Albert Samuel Nipper (born April 2, 1959) is an American former

Cleveland Indians
. He was listed as 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 188 pounds (85 kg).

Major League Baseball playing career

Born in

Hazelwood West High School and Truman State University in Kirkville (formerly Northeast Missouri State University). He was the Red Sox' eighth selection in the 1980 Major League Baseball draft
.

Nipper pitched for the Red Sox from

innings, but in the fourth, he surrendered three runs, two on a home run by Gary Carter. Nipper righted himself after that inning and pitched through the sixth, but the three runs he allowed held up as the winning margin in a 6–2 New York victory.[1] Then, in the winner-take-all Game 7 at Shea Stadium October 27, Nipper was called upon in relief as Boston's fifth pitcher of the contest. Entering in the eighth inning with the Mets leading 6–5, Nipper was ineffective. He retired only one batter and allowed three hits, including a lead-off home run to Darryl Strawberry and a run-scoring single to opposing pitcher Jesse Orosco, enabling the Mets to pad their lead to an insurmountable 8–5;[2]
they won the world championship one inning later.

Nipper was traded to the Cubs in a deal for closer Lee Smith after the 1987 season. He pitched in 22 games, 12 as a starter, for the Cubs in 1988, then missed the entire 1989 season recovering from elbow and knee injuries. On June 27, 1988, Nipper recorded the only save of his MLB career, retiring the final out of the game to preserve a 2-1 Cubs victory over the Phillies.[3]

1990 Cleveland Indians #42 Al Nipper game worn home jersey

He signed as a free agent with Cleveland in 1990; in a season spent mostly with the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Nipper won his final two MLB games in mid-season.

He then signed a

minor league contract with his hometown St. Louis Cardinals
in 1991, but was not called up from Triple-A. It was his final season as a pitcher.

In his 144 total major league regular-season

bases on balls
. In his only postseason action, in the 1986 World Series, Nipper posted an 0–1 (7.11) record, allowing five runs, ten hits and two bases on balls in two games and 61⁄3 innings of work.

Coaching career

After his pitching career, Nipper became a major and minor league

Sarasota (2003–04) and then minor league pitching coordinator (2005), he was promoted to MLB bullpen coach in 2006, although he spent much of that season as the Red Sox' interim pitching coach because of the surgery-induced absence of Dave Wallace. Then, from 2007 to 2011, he was a special assignment scout for the Red Sox, specializing in evaluating pitchers.[4]

In 2012–13, Nipper was the minor league pitching coordinator of the

system.[6][7] In 2015, he returned to the Royals' organization as the pitching coach of the Omaha Storm Chasers, their Triple-A affiliate.[8]

References

  1. ^ Retrosheet box score: 1986 World Series Game 4
  2. ^ Retrosheet box score: 1986 World Series Game 7
  3. ^ "Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs Box Score, June 27, 1988".
  4. ^ 2011 Boston Red Sox Media Guide, page 453
  5. ^ The Detroit News
  6. ^ "Toledo Free Press 2013-9-18". Archived from the original on 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
  7. ^ Mlive.com
  8. ^ milb.com

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by Boston Red Sox pitching coach
1995–1996 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Kansas City Royals pitching coach
2001–2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Boston Red Sox bullpen coach
2006 		Succeeded by
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