Wayland Eugene Nelson II (born December 3, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1981 to 1993. After beginning his career as a starting pitcher with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

and

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

, Nelson gradually converted to a relief role starting in 1983. He was a key member of the ace relief staff that helped propel the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

to three pennant-winning seasons from 1988 to 1990, frequently setting up

Dennis Eckersley Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...

for his saves. Nelson posted a 1.57 ERA in 1990 and earned a 9-6 record in 1988. After seeing his performance slip in 1991 and 1992, he closed out his career in 1993 with a 3.12 ERA while pitching for the

California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...

and Texas Rangers. He was made a free agent in 1993.

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1960 births Living people Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Tampa, Florida New York Yankees players Seattle Mariners players Chicago White Sox players Oakland Athletics players California Angels players Texas Rangers players Gulf Coast Rangers players Fort Lauderdale Yankees players Asheville Tourists players Columbus Clippers players Salt Lake City Gulls players Pasco High School (Florida) alumni 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-baseball-pitcher-1960s-stub