Willard Nixon
| Willard Nixon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Nixon in 1953. | |||
| Pitcher | |||
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Born: July 17, 1928 Taylorsville, Georgia | |||
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Died: December 10, 2000 (aged 72) Rome, Georgia | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| July 7, 1950, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| July 4, 1958, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 69–72 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.39 | ||
| Strikeouts | 616 | ||
| Innings pitched | 1,234 | ||
| Teams | |||
Willard Lee Nixon (June 17, 1928 – December 10, 2000) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the Boston Red Sox between 1950 and 1958. Listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and 195 pounds (88 kg), Nixon batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
The native of Taylorsville, Georgia, signed with the Red Sox as a free agent in 1948 out of Auburn University. In his nine-season career, he posted a 69–72 record with a 4.39 ERA and 616 strikeouts in 225 appearances, including 177 starts, 51 complete games, nine shutouts, three saves, and 1,234 innings pitched.
Nixon had a 12–10 mark with the 1955 Red Sox. Four of those wins came at the expense of the New York Yankees. From 1954 to 1955, Nixon beat the Yankees five straight times.
Nixon died in Rome, Georgia, at age 72.
Sources
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
- Baseball Almanac
- Retrosheet
- Historic Baseball
- The Deadball Era
- Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum