Melvin Nieves...he and his wife, Wendy have three sons: Melvin Alexander (7), Jacob (3) and Patrick, born this past May...their son Brandon, Jacob's twin brother, passed away on April 6, 1998 after an eight-month battle with hypoplasitc left heart syndrome...a 1989 graduate of Luis Pales Matos High School in Santa Rosa, Puerto Rico, he lettered in baseball and track...as a youth, he also played in the American Baseball Congress and American Legion ball in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico...his uncle, Jose Morales, played for the A's, Expos, Twins, Orioles and Dodgers organizations, and has coached in the Giants, Indians and Marlins systems...signed by Jorge Posada, currently a Rockies scout, and Pedro Gonzalez, May 20, 1988.
Professional:
Signed as a minor-league free agent, Jan, 29, 2001...Nieves returns to North America after two years in the Japanese Pacific League with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks...originally signed in 1988 by Pedro Gonzalez and Jorge Posada (the father of the Yankees catcher and current Rockies scout), Melvin embarks on his 14th pro season...he's played all or parts of seven seasons in the majors...during his two seasons (1999-2000) in Japan, his club won its league pennant both years in Japan under manager Sadaharu Oh, the world's career home run leader, who hit 113 more than Hank Aaron...that 1999 JPL title, marked the Hawks' first in 26 years...on two occasions in 1996, the switch hitter homered from both sides of the plate, setting an AL record, before Detroit's Tony Clark did it three times in 1998...during his major league career, he's homered in consecutive games on 10 occasions, including a four-game homer streak (1997) and a three-game stretch (1996)...at Triple-A in 1994, he once homered in five straight contests...his two career grand slams came during a 25-day stretch in August of 1995 with the Padres...Rockies historians might recall Nieves' role in one of the greatest games in Colorado history, June 28, 1994 (Game 1) vs. San Diego; that day, in his first two 1994 major league at-bats, he doubled and homered, helping the Padres to an 8-0 lead; Colorado then mounted its largest come-from-behind win ever, 10-9...Melvin's been traded four times, including the 1993 deal that sent Fred McGriff from San Diego to Atlanta.
2000
Melvin played his final season with the Japanese Pacific League's Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.
- He batted .216 (50-for-232) with 15 homers, 38 RBI and a .444 slugging percentage.
- Nieves contributed to the Hawks' second straight Pacific League championship (before his arrival in 1999, they had not won a pennant since 1973).
- Daiei, the defending Japan champions, lost to the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants in the series, 4-2.
- In Game 1 at Tokyo Dome, Melvin clubbed the game-winning home run, a pinch-hit blast in the ninth inning to snap a 3-3 tie...the Hawks triumphed, 5-3.
- In Game 4, Nieves homered again, a solo shot for the Hawks' only tally in a 2-1 loss.
- Daiei won the series' first two tilts, then dropped the final four games.
- Other North American players on Melvin's 2000 club were Brian Banks, Brady Raggio, Matt Randel and Rod Pedraza.
1999
Melvin signed as a minor-league free agent with the Twins
Dec. 15, 1998, and went to spring training as a non-roster
player.
- On March 20, the Twins sold his contract to the
Fukuoka Daiei Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League.
- Nieves, whose manager was the legendary Sadaharu Oh,
helped the Hawks to their first franchise pennant since 1973
and a 4-games-to-1 victory in the Japan World Series.
- The Hawks, struggling economically, purchased the
contracts of just two foreign players: Nieves and closer Rod
Pedraza, who pitched in the Rangers and Expos chains...all
told, 57 foreign players were under contract in Japan during the
'99 season.
- In the regular season, Melvin batted .257 (63-for-245) with
16 doubles, on triple, 17 homers and 43 RBI...he compiled a
solid.539 slugging percentage.
- The Daiei franchise overcame the sudden death of its team
president, April 29, to win the Japan world
championship.
1998
Nieves, who came to Cincinnati from Detroit for RHP Donne
Wall and C Paul Bako on Nov. 11, 1997, played his only season
in the Reds system.
- He opened the year on the disabled list, recovering
from hernia surgery...after a rehab assignment in Indianapolis,
the Twins activated him May 5.
- Melvin made 21 starts, 16 in right field, two in left and three
as the DH.
- On May 7 at Pittsburgh, he pinch hit in his first NL
appearance since 1995 with the Padres.
- From May 12-21, he hit safely in six of eight games.
- On June 10 at San Diego, he posted a season-high three
hits, vs. his former club.
- From June 12-25, he drove in 10 runs in 11 games.
- After a pinch-hit appearance, Sept. 14, the Reds put him on
the disabled list with a torn labrum in his right shoulder...he
underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the labrum, Sept. 15
(Dr. Tim Kremchek).
1997
Nieves hit 20 homers and drove in a career-best 64 runs in 116
games, under Buddy Bell.
- He helped the Tigers improve their record from 1996 by
26 games, the second largest jump in Tigers history and best
in the AL since 1988-89.
- Melvin made 90 starts, 82 in right field and eight as the
designated hitter.
- Detroit's Opening Day right fielder, he hit safely in five of his
first six games (9-for-26), April 1-6.
- From July 14-17, he homered in four consecutive games,
driving in eight runs during the stretch.
- From Aug. 4-18, he was on the disabled list for personal
reasons.
1996
In spring training on March 22, he went from San Diego to
Detroit with RHP Richie Lewis and C Raul Casanova for RHP
Sean Bergman, RHP Cade Gaspar and OF Todd Steverson.
- During his first season with Detroit, he batted .246 with
60 RBI and a career-high 24 homers in 120 games...he also
set career bests in at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples and
walks.
- On April 6 vs. Oakland, he collected a career-best four
hits...he fell a single shy of the cycle, going 4-for-5 with two
doubles, a triple and homer and two RBI in the Tigers' 6-1
win.
- He made two trips to the disabled list: June 5-20 with a torn
right calf muscle and Aug. 2-19 with a strained oblique
muscle.
- In two games, he homered from both sides of the plate...he
did it July 15 at Milwaukee, his first career multi-homer game, a
10-9 Detroit win...and he did it again Aug. 20 vs. the White Sox,
on a night when he drove in a career-best five runs in a 16-11
win.
- That July 15 contest kicked off a stretch in which Melvin
homered 13 times in 16 games, through Aug. 22 vs. the White
Sox.
- He built a career-long eight-game hitting streak from July
28-Aug. 22 (12-for-33, .364).
- From Aug. 20-22, he homered in each of the final three
games of that streak...he drove in nine runs over the three
contests.
- He was second on the Tigers with four triples.
1995
Nieves in his final season with the Padres organization played
the full year with the major league club, batting .205 with 14
homers and 38 RBI in 98 games.
- Melvin made his '95 debut in the team's second game,
going 2-for-4 with two RBI in a 13-1 victory vs. Houston.
- In three instances during the year, he homered in two
consecutive games.
- On Aug. 2 vs. San Francisco, he hit his first career grand
slam, off Terry Mulholland...Melvin drove in four runs in the
Padres' 11-3 win.
- A few weeks later, Aug. 26 at New York, he hit his second
career slam, off Doug Henry, in a 7-6 loss.
- From the outfield, he compiled a .990 fielding percentage,
committing just one error in 101 total chances...he also
recorded five outfield assists.
- Melvin's 14 homers were second on the San Diego roster,
behind Ken Caminiti (26).
1994
He opened at Triple-A Las Vegas and spent about two weeks
with the major league club before the all-star break.
- On May 15 vs. Salt Lake, he delivered the game
winning, two-run homer.
- From May 27-31, he built a five-game homer streak (six total
HR, 16 RBI).
- Recalled June 28, he made his season debut at Mile High
Stadium that day in Game 1 of a DH...Nieves went 2-for-3 with a
double and homer (off Lance Painter) in his first two
at-bats...the Rockies actually earned a 10-9 win, erasing an 8-0
deficit in the franchise's largest ever come-from-behind
victory...in Game 2, another 10-9 Rockies win, Melvin drove in a
run with an 11th-inning pinch single.
- He went just 2-for-15 over his next eight games and the
Padres optioned him to Las Vegas July 11.
- Overall at Triple-A, he led the team in RBI and homers (fifth
in the league).
1993
Melvin opened the campaign with Richmond (AAA) in his final
year with the Braves organization.
- He was on the seven-day disabled list with right rotator
cuff tendinitis, May 18-26.
- On July 18, the Braves sent him to San Diego with pitcher
Donnie Elliott and outfielder Vince Moore for first baseman Fred
McGriff...Nieves reported to Las Vegas after the deal.
- Recalled by the Padres Sept. 6, he started that night vs.
Florida in right field.
- On Sept. 8 in the same series, he hit his first major league
home run, a solo shot off Chris Hammond...San Diego won,
3-2.
- Nieves started 11 games in right for the
Padres.
1992
He opened the year at Durham (A) and earned a promotion to
Greenville (AA) May 10...he homered in consecutive minor
league games on six occasions...he also led the Southern
League in slugging (.531) and earned the Hank Aaron Award as
the Braves' organizational player of the year...recalled Sept. 1,
he skipped Triple-A to make his major league debut hat night,
as a pinch hitter at New York (0-for-1)...the next day, Sept. 2 at
Shea, his pinch single off Anthony Young marked Melvin's first
major league hit.
1991
He underwent surgeries on his knee and ankle and spent April
11-June 13 on the disabled list, before seeing action with
Durham (A) in the Carolina League.
1990
With Sumter (A) in the South Atlantic League, Nieves built a
15-game hitting streak, June 10-26...he led the club in hits, RBI
and runs.
1989
Melvin played his first full season for Pulaski in the Appalachian
League...an all-star, he hit a grand slam June 27 vs. Burlington,
and finished third in the circuit with 46 RBI.
1988
A 16-year-old outfielder, he made his pro debut in the Gulf
Coast League, after signing his first contract May 20.
