Robb Nen
| Robb Nen | |
|---|---|
San Pedro, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 10, 1993, for the Texas Rangers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 2002, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 45–42 |
| Earned run average | 2.98 |
| Strikeouts | 793 |
| Saves | 314 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Robb Allen Nen (born November 28, 1969) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He spent most of his career as a closer. He is the son of former major league first baseman Dick Nen. He currently works in the Giants' front office as a special assistant to General Manager Farhan Zaidi.
Nen pitched for the Florida Marlins (1993–97); in 1997, Nen won the World Series championship with the Marlins. He also played with the San Francisco Giants (1998–2002), with whom he was a three-time All-Star and played in the 2002 World Series, and the Texas Rangers (1993).
Nen has 314 career saves with the Marlins (1993–1997; 108 saves) and Giants (1998–2002; 206 saves). He was 8th overall in career saves when he retired, and stands 25th overall as of September 13, 2023.[1]
High school
He attended Los Alamitos High School and played varsity baseball with future Giants Gold Glove-winning first baseman J. T. Snow. Nen played mostly at third base, and also did some pitching. He skipped college and went directly to the minor leagues.
Major League career
Nen was selected by the Rangers as a pitcher in the 32nd round of the 1987 MLB draft. The Rangers promoted him to their Major League roster in 1993. His partial season with the Rangers was marred by injuries and subpar results on the mound, resulting in a 6.35 earned run average.
On July 17 of his first year, the Rangers traded Nen and pitcher Kurt Miller to the Florida Marlins for Cris Carpenter.[2] Nen started one game for his new team and finished the 1993 season with a disappointing 7.02 ERA. The following season, the Marlins moved him to the bullpen in an effort to reduce the frequency of his arm injuries. Nen flourished in his new role and became the Marlins' new closer that year. He finished the strike-shortened 1994 season with 15 saves and a 2.95 ERA. Nen would continue to be a dominating closer for the Marlins, racking up a total of 108 saves and establishing himself as one of the elite closers of the 1990s. During the 1997 postseason, Nen pitched in eight games, including two saves in the World Series, as well as 1+2⁄3 innings of scoreless relief in the 9th and 10th innings of Game 7 while the Marlins came back in the last inning, and subsequently won the World Series in the bottom of the 11th. Throughout the 1997 playoffs, Florida didn't lose a single game in which Nen made an appearance.
In a controversial move, the Marlins held a "fire sale" in which they traded away most of their high-caliber players in favor of gaining prospects and utilizing many of their minor league players, all while keeping their team payroll low. On November 18, 1997, Nen was traded to the Giants for Mike Villano, Joe Fontenot and Mick Pageler.
Nen was expected to fill in the closer role, a role recently vacated by
The Giants, the National League
The Angels tacked on another run in the eighth with a lead-off home run by
During the next two seasons, Nen spent time rehabilitating from three surgeries for a torn rotator cuff that he had aggravated during the middle of the 2002 season. The tear went through 40 to 75% of his right shoulder. When his contract with the Giants ended after the 2004 season, Nen filed for free agency but was not picked up by any team.[3]
On February 20, 2005, Nen formally announced his retirement.[4] He is the all-time saves leader for the Giants with 206 saves.[5] His locker was maintained throughout the 2003 and 2004 seasons as he last left it and was formally retired in 2005, but his jersey continued to hang in the locker room both at home and on the road. He would have a day dedicated to him in San Francisco at their home park (known at the time as SBC Park) on July 9 of that year; he noted at the time of his retirement that he had no regrets for how his career ended.
Pitching style
Nen was known for an unusual delivery in which he tapped his toe on the ground before releasing the ball. His signature pitch, a
Post MLB career
Nen joined the Giants' baseball operations department as an instructor on both the major and minor league levels, while also advising general manager Brian Sabean on an as-needed basis.
Honors
In a ceremony before their July 9, 2005, game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Giants honored Nen with a plaque commemorating his 300th career save. The plaque is now located on the public walkway behind the right-field wall of Oracle Park, not far from McCovey Cove.
See also
References
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Saves". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ Brousseau, Dave (December 24, 1996). "Marlins Re-sign Closer Nen". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
- ^ "ESPN.com - ETICKET - E-Ticket: Robb Nen".
- ^ "End Of The Line For Nen, Greer". Reading Eagle. February 21, 2005. p. D4. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
- ^ "San Francisco Giants Top 10 Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
External links
- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- CBS Sportsline: Former teammates praise Giants saves leader Nen
- ESPN article detailing the end of Nen's baseball career after the 2002 World Series
- Article detailing Nen's eligibility to the Hall of Fame