Terrific look back at Dave Nelson…(save the Bobby “Challenge The Yankees/Strat-O-Matic Killing” Richardson jazz of course).
Sunday is Jackie Robinson Day in baseball. It is a day for Major League Baseball to celebrate the legacy of the Dodgers infielder who broke the sport’s color barrier. It is a day to remember Robinson’s tremendous spirit and what he accomplished in the game.
Forty years ago, the Rangers had an infielder who embodied that spirit. Obviously Nelson wasn’t as good as Robinson—who was?—but he played the game the same way because that was the way he was taught.
“One of the nicest compliments I ever received was something Billy Martin, my manager, said in an article,” Nelson said. “It was in the Pompano Beach newspaper in Spring Training. He said, ‘Dave Nelson reminds me of Jackie Robinson with the way he plays the game ... his pride and determination, the way he runs the bases, he reminds me of Jackie.’ That made me feel so good.
“I remember my dad telling me about Jackie. He was my inspiration. I was a second baseman and I wanted to play the game like him. Two players I idolized were Jackie Robinson and Bobby Richardson, who was with the Yankees. Bobby Richardson was a second baseman like Jackie. He wasn’t as good as Jackie, but he played the game right, gave himself up to get runners over, did all the little things, played defense, did all of those things.
Repoz
Posted: April 13, 2012 at 08:24 PM |
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1. sunnyday2 Posted: April 13, 2012 at 09:05 PM (#4106264)Very close - in 1972, Campy had 52 steals, and Nelson had 51. Campy stole two bases in each of the last three games of the season. Dave stole five in his last three games. On the last day, Campy stole two, and Dave stole three. Obviously, both were gunning for the title.
Thanks for your recollections - it's good to see that he's remembered so fondly.
The other game I remember was probably in 1971, Texas had sent David down to AAA to learn 3B, I think it was the Denver Bears, but for sure the opposition was the Iowa Oaks based in Des Moines. Several of us drove down to see the game. Denver won a slugfest, maybe 12-8 or something like that. In the evening newscast the report noted that a couple of Oaks had homered, and they of course HAD to mention that one of the Bears, and I don't remember who, hit 3 HR. They didn't bother to mention that Dave hit a pair of HR that day. David put on this hangdog hurt face and then he just laughed and laughed.
His roomie at the time was Lenny Randle, who later was his teammate in Texas, and it was he, playing CF, who ran over Dave, then at 2B, chasing a short flyball. I think David fractured an ankle and was out for the season.
I also remember David getting hit by a pitch at old Met Stadium in Minnesota, right on the big knuckle on his middle finger. He came out of the game and the trainer just sliced a hole in a lemon and told David to stick his finger (the middle one) into the lemon. I guess to control swelling. David got dressed while the game was still on and came up into the stands and sat down with us and he kept flipping everybody off with the lemon.
I came here to say that I thought it was a bit much to equate Dave Nelson's leading a New York radio news station despite the handicap of being Canadian with Jackie Robinson's racial trailblazing. Not unkind exactly, but somehow not in keeping with the heartfelt nature of the thread thus far. So I will refrain from saying it...
Damn too late.
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