Robb Nen
Encyclopedia
Robert Allen Nen is a 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 Brian Sabean
.
Nen is best known for his years with the San Francisco Giants
(1998–2002). He also played with the Texas Rangers
(1993) and Florida Marlins
(1993–97); in 1997, Nen won a World Series
championship with the Marlins. After the season, Nen injured his throwing arm and has not played since.
Nen was known for an unusual delivery in which he tapped his toe on the ground before releasing the ball. His signature pitch, a slider
, was nicknamed "The Terminator." It looked like a fastball
until it broke straight down at the plate at a velocity of up to 92 mph. In addition to the slider, Nen had a fastball that reached the upper 90s. A splitter rounded out Nen's pitching arsenal.
Nen has 314 career saves with the Marlins (1993–1997; 108 saves) and Giants (1998–2002; 206 saves). He is 15th overall in career saves.
Nen wore number 31 as his jersey number throughout his career.
and played both varsity football and baseball with future Giants teammate J. T. Snow
. Nen played mostly at third base
, and also did some pitching. He skipped college and went directly to the minor leagues
.
. The Rangers promoted him to their Major League roster in . 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 Marlins for Cris Carpenter
. 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.
In a controversial move, the Marlins held a "firesale" in which they traded away most of their high-calibre 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 Rod Beck
, who left via free agency to the Chicago Cubs
. If Beck had set the bar high for a San Francisco closer (199 saves in his 7-year tenure with the Giants), Nen would raise the bar. His first year yielded 40 saves with a 1.52 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 88.7 IP. As a Giant, Nen was selected to three All-Star Games
(1998, 1999, 2002) and finished 4th in voting for the National League
Cy Young Award
and 12th in the NL MVP
voting (the award went to teammate Jeff Kent
), both high honors for a closer. The 9th inning was affectionately renamed the "Nenth" by fans.
Nen's career reached its climax in the 2002 World Series
. Robb Nen's last game was October 26, 2002 at Edison International Stadium. It was Game 6 (of 7) of the 2002 World Series
.
The Giants, the National League wild card team, and the Anaheim Angels
, the American League
wild card team, played a seven-game series in which Nen earned two saves. The Giants entered Game 6 leading the series three games to two. Behind the pitching of starter Russ Ortiz
, the Giants appeared to be cruising to an easy 5-0 victory and their first World Series title since 1954 (when they were still the New York Giants). In the seventh inning, however, Ortiz ran into trouble and was relieved by Felix Rodriguez
. Rodriguez then gave up a three-run home run
to the Angels' Scott Spezio.
The Angels tacked on another run in the eighth with a lead-off home run by Darin Erstad
. After two more runners reached base safely in the eighth, Nen came in to relieve Tim Worrell
and try to protect what was now a shaky one-run Giants lead. But Nen was unable to shut down the Angels' surge and gave up a two-run double
to eventual series MVP Troy Glaus
, which put the Angels ahead by one run. They hung on to win the game, and won the series following a win the next day. Nen pitched with full awareness that he was likely jeopardizing his career and remains admired by Giants' fans for his self-sacrifice. It was, in fact, his final appearance.
During the next two seasons, Nen spent time rehabiliting 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.
On February 20, 2005, Nen formally announced his retirement. He is currently the all-time saves leader for the Giants with 206 saves. 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.
(now AT&T Park), the Giants used the song "Smoke on the Water
", by Deep Purple
, as Nen's entrance music. Though not chosen by Nen, the song was selected to highlight his throwing speed.
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 AT&T Park
, not far from McCovey Cove
.
On his unusual delivery: "There was some problem about my toe pointing down when I was coming up, and when I tried to correct it, I just literally stumbled into the tap thing. It was an accident. But when I did it, it felt right to me, and I could throw real hard that way so I stuck with it."
On being a closer: "You had to believe to close. You had to know you were going to get people out every night, know that you were going to get their best guys out, every night."
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
right-handed relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. He spent most of his career as a closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
. He is the son of former major league first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Dick Nen
Dick Nen
Richard Le Roy Nen is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He is the father of former major league reliever Robb Nen....
. He currently works in the Giants' front office as a special assistant to General Manager Brian Sabean
Brian Sabean
Brian R. Sabean is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the San Francisco Giants, a Major League Baseball franchise. He has held the job since 1997, when he replaced former General Manager Bob Quinn...
.
Nen is best known for his years with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1998–2002). He also played with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1993) and Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
(1993–97); in 1997, Nen won a World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
championship with the Marlins. After the season, Nen injured his throwing arm and has not played since.
Nen was known for an unusual delivery in which he tapped his toe on the ground before releasing the ball. His signature pitch, a slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
, was nicknamed "The Terminator." It looked like a fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
until it broke straight down at the plate at a velocity of up to 92 mph. In addition to the slider, Nen had a fastball that reached the upper 90s. A splitter rounded out Nen's pitching arsenal.
Nen has 314 career saves with the Marlins (1993–1997; 108 saves) and Giants (1998–2002; 206 saves). He is 15th overall in career saves.
Nen wore number 31 as his jersey number throughout his career.
High school
He attended Los Alamitos High SchoolLos Alamitos High School
Los Alamitos High School is a public school for grades 9 to 12 located in Los Alamitos, California, and also serving the city of Seal Beach and the community of Rossmoor. It is the only traditional high school in the Los Alamitos Unified School District; the far smaller Laurel High School serves...
and played both varsity football and baseball with future Giants teammate J. T. Snow
J. T. Snow
Jack Thomas "J. T." Snow, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. He played all but two games in his career as a first baseman, and played nine of his 13½ seasons with the San Francisco Giants...
. Nen played mostly at third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, and also did some pitching. He skipped college and went directly to the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
.
Major League career
Nen was selected by the Rangers as a pitcher in the 32nd round of the 1987 MLB draft1987 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1987 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-External links:*...
. The Rangers promoted him to their Major League roster in . His partial season with the Rangers was marred by injuries and subpar results on the mound, resulting in a 6.35 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
On July 17 of his first year, the Rangers traded Nen and pitcher Kurt Miller to the Marlins for Cris Carpenter
Cris Carpenter
Cris Howell Carpenter is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He is an alumnus of the University of Georgia....
. 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.
In a controversial move, the Marlins held a "firesale" in which they traded away most of their high-calibre 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
Joe Fontenot
Joseph Daniel Fontenot is a former Major League Baseball player. Fontenot pitched in eight games for the Florida Marlins in the 1998 season. He had a 0 and 7 record with eight games started, and a 6.33 ERA....
and Mick Pageler.
Nen was expected to fill in the closer role, a role recently vacated by Rod Beck
Rod Beck
Rodney Roy "Rod" Beck nicknamed "Shooter", was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres...
, who left via free agency to the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. If Beck had set the bar high for a San Francisco closer (199 saves in his 7-year tenure with the Giants), Nen would raise the bar. His first year yielded 40 saves with a 1.52 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 88.7 IP. As a Giant, Nen was selected to three All-Star Games
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
(1998, 1999, 2002) and finished 4th in voting for the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
and 12th in the NL MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
voting (the award went to teammate Jeff Kent
Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
), both high honors for a closer. The 9th inning was affectionately renamed the "Nenth" by fans.
Nen's career reached its climax in the 2002 World Series
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
. Robb Nen's last game was October 26, 2002 at Edison International Stadium. It was Game 6 (of 7) of the 2002 World Series
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
.
The Giants, the National League wild card team, and the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
wild card team, played a seven-game series in which Nen earned two saves. The Giants entered Game 6 leading the series three games to two. Behind the pitching of starter Russ Ortiz
Russ Ortiz
Russell Reid Ortiz is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Ortiz played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, the Giants appeared to be cruising to an easy 5-0 victory and their first World Series title since 1954 (when they were still the New York Giants). In the seventh inning, however, Ortiz ran into trouble and was relieved by Felix Rodriguez
Félix Rodríguez (baseball)
Félix Antonio Rodríguez is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Camden Riversharks....
. Rodriguez then gave up a three-run home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
to the Angels' Scott Spezio.
The Angels tacked on another run in the eighth with a lead-off home run by Darin Erstad
Darin Erstad
Darin Charles Erstad is the Head Coach of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team and a former Major League Baseball outfielder/first baseman. Prior to , he had played with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim franchise before signing with the Chicago White Sox in 2007...
. After two more runners reached base safely in the eighth, Nen came in to relieve Tim Worrell
Tim Worrell
Timothy Howard Worrell is a former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. During his fourteen-year Major League career, Worrell has pitched for nine teams, including the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, San...
and try to protect what was now a shaky one-run Giants lead. But Nen was unable to shut down the Angels' surge and gave up a two-run double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
to eventual series MVP Troy Glaus
Troy Glaus
Troy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA...
, which put the Angels ahead by one run. They hung on to win the game, and won the series following a win the next day. Nen pitched with full awareness that he was likely jeopardizing his career and remains admired by Giants' fans for his self-sacrifice. It was, in fact, his final appearance.
During the next two seasons, Nen spent time rehabiliting from three surgeries for a torn rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
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.
On February 20, 2005, Nen formally announced his retirement. He is currently the all-time saves leader for the Giants with 206 saves. 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.
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."Smoke on the Water"
When the Giants moved from Candlestick Park (also known as 3Com Park and Monster Park) to Pac Bell ParkAT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
(now AT&T Park), the Giants used the song "Smoke on the Water
Smoke on the Water
"Smoke on the Water" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked number 426 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Smoke on the Water"...
", by Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
, as Nen's entrance music. Though not chosen by Nen, the song was selected to highlight his throwing speed.
Honoring Nen
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, 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 AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
, not far from McCovey Cove
McCovey Cove
McCovey Cove is the unofficial name of a section of San Francisco Bay beyond the right field wall of AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, coined after famed Giants first baseman Willie McCovey. The proper name for the cove is China Basin, which is the mouth of Mission Creek as it meets the...
.
Quotes
On his father, Dick Nen: "He told me, it must have been a thousand times, let everything you do show your respect for the game. Don't cheat yourself, and don't cheat your teammates."On his unusual delivery: "There was some problem about my toe pointing down when I was coming up, and when I tried to correct it, I just literally stumbled into the tap thing. It was an accident. But when I did it, it felt right to me, and I could throw real hard that way so I stuck with it."
On being a closer: "You had to believe to close. You had to know you were going to get people out every night, know that you were going to get their best guys out, every night."
Salary
| Year | Team | Salary (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Texas Rangers | $100,000 |
| 1993 | Texas Rangers | $109,000 |
| 1994 | Florida Marlins | $130,000 |
| 1995 | Florida Marlins | $180,000 |
| 1996 | Florida Marlins | $340,000 |
| 1997 | Florida Marlins | $3,080,000 |
| 1998 | San Francisco Giants | $4,090,000 |
| 1999 | San Francisco Giants | $5,150,000 |
| 2000 | San Francisco Giants | $5,500,000 |
| 2001* | San Francisco Giants | $6,600,000 |
| 2002 | San Francisco Giants | $8,300,000 |
| 2003 | San Francisco Giants | $8,750,000 |
| 2004 | San Francisco Giants | $9,150,000 |
- Signed a contract extension in 2001 for 4 more years with the San Francisco Giants worth $32.5 million. At this time, he was the highest paid closer in Major League Baseball history.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders
- List of second generation MLB players