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Phillip Joseph Nevin (born January 19, 1971) is an American professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...
, coach, and
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
. He was the manager for the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB). He played in MLB for 12 seasons, appearing in 1,217
games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Associat ...
between 1995 and 2006 for the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
,
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
, Anaheim Angels,
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
, Texas Rangers,
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
and
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
. He has previously served as a coach in MLB for the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
and
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 ...
. Nevin attended
California State University, Fullerton California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public research university in Fullerton, California, United States. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the California State ...
, where he played
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
and college football, as a kicker, for the
Cal State Fullerton Titans The Cal State Fullerton Titans (also known as CSUF or Fullerton Titans) are the sport, athletic teams that represent California State University, Fullerton. The Titans are a member of the NCAA Division I level. The Titans compete within the Big W ...
team. Nevin led the Titans to the championship game in the 1992 College World Series (CWS), after which he was named the CWS Most Outstanding Player and won the
Golden Spikes Award The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to ...
. Chosen with the first-overall pick in the 1992 Major League Baseball draft, Nevin went on to play in MLB for seven teams across 12 seasons. He was selected to appear in the 2001 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. After retiring from baseball, Nevin went into broadcasting, and then managed the unaffiliated
Orange County Flyers The Fullerton Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Fullerton, California, in the United States. They were an independent franchise, not affiliated with either Major League Baseball ''or'' Minor League Baseball. The team played from 2 ...
for a season. He managed the
Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League B ...
Erie SeaWolves The Erie SeaWolves are an American professional baseball team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They compete in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) as a member of the Eastern League's Southwest Division, serving as the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Ti ...
and the
Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A baseball team nicknamed the ...
in the Tigers organization before joining the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
organization in 2014, managing the Reno Aces. He then returned to MLB to coach the Giants in 2017 and for the Yankees from 2018 through 2021. He joined the Angels as a coach in 2022 and became interim manager after the firing of
Joe Maddon Joseph John Maddon (born February 8, 1954) is an American former professional baseball manager (baseball), manager and coach. He has managed the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). After playing ...
. On October 5, 2022, the Angels signed him to a one-year contract as their permanent manager.


Early life

Nevin attended El Dorado High School in
Placentia, California Placentia () is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States. Its population was 51,233 during the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 46,488 in the 2000 United States Census, 2000 census. This includes the community ...
. After graduating, he was selected by the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
in the third round of the 1989 Major League Baseball draft with the 82nd overall selection. He decided to attend
California State University, Fullerton California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public research university in Fullerton, California, United States. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the California State ...
after turning down an offer that included a
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $100,000.


College career

A two-sport star, Nevin played
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
and
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
for the
Cal State Fullerton Titans The Cal State Fullerton Titans (also known as CSUF or Fullerton Titans) are the sport, athletic teams that represent California State University, Fullerton. The Titans are a member of the NCAA Division I level. The Titans compete within the Big W ...
, competing in the
Big West Conference The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...
of
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
. He was a punter and
placekicker In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...
on the
Cal State Fullerton Titans football The Cal State Fullerton Titans football program represented California State University, Fullerton from the 1970 through 1992 seasons. The Titans originally competed as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association from 1970 to 1973 ...
team. He was named an
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
n placekicker his freshman year for the Titans as he connected successfully on his first nine
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, ...
attempts and finished the year with a 15-for-21
field goal percentage Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Although three-point field goal percentage is often calculated separately, three-point field goals are included in the gene ...
. His longest field goal of the season was . In his junior year, he averaged per punt. For the
Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball The Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball team represents California State University, Fullerton in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with the other CSUF athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big West Conference. Since its e ...
team, Nevin batted .358 with 56
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
(RBIs) as a freshman. The Titans won the conference championship and reached the 1990 College World Series (CWS) that year. The Titans lost two games in the 1990 CWS, however, and were eliminated. Nevin batted .335 in his sophomore season. As a junior, he batted .391 with 20
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s and 71 RBIs, winning the Big West Conference Triple Crown. '' Collegiate Baseball'' and ''
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' named Nevin the College Player of the Year. He credited his past CWS experience with allowing him to remain calm. In three seasons at Cal State Fullerton, Nevin had a .364 average with 39 home runs and 184 RBIs. He led the Titans to the finals of the 1992 CWS, where the Titans lost to the
Pepperdine Waves baseball The Pepperdine Waves baseball team represents Pepperdine University in the sport of baseball. The Pepperdine Waves compete in Division I (NCAA), Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and in the West Coast Conference. ...
team, which represented the
West Coast Conference The West Coast Conference (WCC) — known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956 and then as the West Coast Athletic Conference until 1989 — is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I consisting o ...
. Despite the loss, Nevin was voted the CWS Most Outstanding Player after he batted 10-for-19 with two home runs and 11 RBIs. He also won the
Golden Spikes Award The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to ...
, given to the best amateur player in the nation.


International career

In 1990, Nevin tried out for the
United States national baseball team The United States national baseball team, also known as Team USA, represents the United States in international level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 5th in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The United S ...
to play in that year's
Goodwill Games The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. In 1979, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the United States and other ...
and
World University Baseball Championship The World University Baseball Championship is an under-23 international college baseball competition sponsored by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and was first held in 2002 in Italy. Until 2013, it was sanctioned by the then- ...
(WUBC). To prepare for those tournaments, the team played a series against Japan and a game in Cuba. Nevin played
second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...
and
third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball 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. In the scoring system us ...
for Team USA in 13 of its 22 games, batting .229. The team released him before the Goodwill Games and WUBC as it cut players to meet the roster maximum. Nevin was also considered for the
1991 Pan American Games The 1991 Pan American Games, officially known as the XI Pan American Games () and commonly known as Havana 1991 (), were held in Havana, Cuba from 2 to 18 August 1991. There were 4,519 athletes from 39 countries of the Pan American Sports Organi ...
. Nevin tried out for the national team again before the
1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...
in
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
. The team embarked on a 30-game tour and 38-city exhibition-game schedule in the United States before leaving for Spain. He made the team and served as its starting third baseman throughout the tournament. Olympic coach
Ron Fraser Ronald George Fraser (June 25, 1933 – January 20, 2013) was an American college baseball coach best known for his tenure at the University of Miami from 1963 to 1992. Nicknamed the "Wizard of College Baseball", he led the Miami Hurricanes base ...
called Nevin an excellent player and student of the game. The United States finished fourth out of eight teams in the Olympics.


Professional career


Draft and minor leagues

The
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
chose Nevin with the first overall pick in the 1992 Major League Baseball draft. Hal Newhouser, a
scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...
for the Astros, had evaluated
Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974), nicknamed "the Captain", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) caree ...
extensively prior to the draft. Convinced that Jeter would anchor a winning team, Newhouser lobbied team management to select Jeter, and quit in protest over the Astros' decision to take Nevin instead. The Astros believed that Jeter would insist on a signing bonus of at least $1 million to forgo his college scholarship for a professional contract. Signing bonuses given to the best player in the draft were increasing rapidly. Todd Van Poppel, regarded by many at the time as the best player of the 1990 MLB draft, signed for $1.2 million, while the
1991 MLB draft The 1991 Major League Baseball draft began 3 June 1991 to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order is the reverse order of the 1990 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks will be distributed for players who did ...
's first pick,
Brien Taylor Brien McKeiver Taylor (born December 26, 1971) is an American former pitcher in minor league baseball. He spent seven seasons in the minor leagues, primarily with the New York Yankees organization. In his career, he had a win–loss record of 2 ...
, signed for $1.55 million after insisting he would otherwise enroll in college. Meanwhile, the Astros were unable to sign their first-round draft pick in 1991, John Burke, who insisted on a bonus of $500,000 as the sixth overall selection. Consequently, the Astros passed on Jeter in the draft. Bill Wood, the Astros'
general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
, said the team believed Nevin was close to a major-league level and would require little development in
minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
. As evidence for this, the Astros pointed to Nevin's training with the wooden bats used in professional baseball in an effort to prepare himself for the transition from metal bats. The Astros believed he would be a solid power hitter and have a strong work ethic. Nevin also did not intend to seek a signing bonus approaching those received by Van Poppel and Taylor. The Astros decided to employ Nevin as a
third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball 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. In the Baseball scorekeep ...
. Not wanting to draw out his contract negotiations, Nevin signed with Houston in June, receiving a $700,000 bonus. Nevin traveled with the Astros at the end of their 1992 season but was not on the team's roster. The Astros sent Nevin to the instructional
Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...
during the off-season. Before the 1993 season, ''
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' ranked Nevin as the 30th-best prospect in baseball. The Astros considered sending Nevin to the Jackson Generals of the
Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League B ...
Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
to start his professional career. The team also considered promoting him directly to the major leagues, skipping the minor leagues entirely. At the Astros'
spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
in 1993, Nevin batted .350 and showed good power hitting. The Astros weighed bringing Nevin to Houston for
Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...
as they sought to add a right-handed batter to complement the left-handed power of Luis Gonzalez, Steve Finley and Eric Anthony and make the team less vulnerable to left-handed pitching. But with Ken Caminiti in the first year of a three-year contract to play as the starting third baseman, Nevin had nowhere to play defensively. The Astros assigned him to the
Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
Tucson Toros The Tucson Toros were a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. The original Toros were a Triple-A minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League from 1969 to 1997, where they won the PCL Championship in ...
of the
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, one level below the major leagues, where he made his professional debut. While Nevin was with the Toros, the Astros asked Toros manager
Rick Sweet Ricky Joe Sweet (born September 7, 1952) is an American former professional baseball catcher and current manager (baseball), manager of the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds. He played three seasons ...
to play Nevin as a
left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
, which would allow the Astros to promote Nevin sooner, as he and Caminiti could play different positions. Veteran
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
Jim Lindeman served as Nevin's mentor, helping him keep his composure under significant attention and pressure to perform. Nevin started the 1993 season with a .247 batting average, but batted .309 with
baserunner In baseball, base running is the act of running from base to base, performed by members of the team at bat. Base running is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home base ( home plate) to score a run. Batters strive ...
s in scoring position and had 49 RBIs. By July, he had made ten starts in left field, without committing an
error An error (from the Latin , meaning 'to wander'Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “error (n.), Etymology,” September 2023, .) is an inaccurate or incorrect action, thought, or judgement. In statistics, "error" refers to the difference between t ...
. The Astros, however, were concerned that Nevin did not apply the level of intensity he had in "
clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does th ...
" situations to cases where there were no baserunners and the score was not close. Nevin's intensity almost got the best of him during a June 1993 game with Tucson. He was taunted by a man seated in the front row, and nearly attempted to jump into the stands to confront the fan before he was restrained by teammates. The fan was arrested. Nevin played third base and left field in 1993. He batted .286 that season, with 10 home runs and 91 RBIs. He had a .359
on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
(OBP) and .413
slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...
(SLG). ''Baseball America'' rated him the 24th best prospect before the 1994 season. He returned to Tucson that year, posting a .263 batting average with 12 home runs and 71 RBIs. He had a .343 OBP, and .393 SLG. Nevin also played
first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
. His major-league debut, however, was delayed both by his defense (61 errors in his first two seasons) and the MLB 1994–95 work stoppage. The Astros traded Caminiti to the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
before the 1995 season. With Caminiti no longer blocking his path to the major leagues, Nevin hoped he would be named the Astros' starting third baseman. But the Astros did not invite him to spring training. Nevin attributed the snub to his refusal to work out with
replacement players In professional sports, a replacement player is an athlete who is not a member of the league's players association and plays during a labor dispute such as a strike or lockout, serving as a strikebreaker. Replacements related to strikes are most ...
during the work stoppage. Not wanting to be seen as "scabs" by the
Major League Baseball Players Association The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is the labor union representing all current Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held ...
, minor league players who felt they would play in MLB after the resolution of the strike felt pressure to avoid playing with replacement players, while career minor-leaguers were happy to get a taste of the major leagues. When prospects including Nevin and Billy Wagner refused to play with the replacement players, Astros' general manager
Bob Watson Robert José Watson (April 10, 1946May 14, 2020) was an American professional baseball player, Coach (baseball), coach and General manager (baseball), general manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder from ...
issued an ultimatum, saying anyone who refused to play in the team's first exhibition game would be sent out of camp until further notice and be held in breach of contract. The Astros sent Nevin back to Tucson to start the 1995 season, while Dave Magadan started at third base on
Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...
. The Astros also planned to use Shipley and Chris Donnels at third base. With the Toros in 1995, Nevin's batting average improved to .291. He also posted a .367 OBP, and .463 SLG, while contributing seven home runs and 41 RBIs.


Houston Astros (1995)

The Astros promoted him on June 10, 1995, and he made his major-league debut a day later. Nevin played 18 games for the Astros during the 1995 season. He struggled with the Astros, however, batting .117 with no home run, one RBI, a .221 OBP, and .133 SLG in 60 at-bats. When he learned of his demotion to Tucson on July 5 in Colorado, Nevin cursed at Watson and Astros manager Terry Collins. After Watson called for an apology, Nevin said he would use the incident as a learning experience in controlling his temper.


Detroit Tigers (1995–1997)

The Astros acquired pitcher Mike Henneman from the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
for a
player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
on August 10; Nevin was identified as the player five days later. In 1996, Nevin played in Class AA for the Tigers with the
Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...
of the Southern League, where he was converted into a
catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...
by Jacksonville manager and former catcher
Bill Plummer William Francis Plummer (March 21, 1947 – March 12, 2024) was an American professional baseball player and Manager (baseball), manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher in 1968 and then from 1970 to 1978, most notably as a ...
.


Anaheim Angels (1998)

After the 1997 season, the Tigers traded Nevin and catcher Matt Walbeck to the Anaheim Angels, where Collins was manager, for minor league player Nick Skuse. After an injury to starting catcher Todd Greene, Collins gave Nevin the opportunity to compete for the starting job with Walbeck. Nevin, by then well known for his volatile temper, tore off his jersey while arguing balls and strike calls with the home plate umpire in a 1998 game.


San Diego Padres (1999–2005)

Before the 1999 season, the Angels traded Nevin and minor league player Keith Volkman to the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
. Nevin made a late-career break with the Padres, appearing in 100 games for the first time during the 1999 season. He then had the best offensive years of his career: he hit 31 home runs with a .916
on-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...
(OPS) during the 2000 season. He was named to the National League All-Star team in , when he hit 41 home runs with 126 RBIs and had a .976 OPS. He also led major-league third basemen in errors, however, with 27, and had the lowest
fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
of all major league third basemen (.930). In 2002 Nevin played first base, which was considered his strongest defensive position. But injuries shortened his 2002 and 2003 seasons. In 2002, he missed time with a strained left elbow. Three games after returning from the elbow injury, he broke his arm diving for a ground ball, causing him to miss another six weeks. After being heckled by a fan during a September 2002 game, Nevin gave the fan
the finger "The finger", or the middle finger (as in giving someone the (middle) finger, flipping the bird or flipping someone off) is an obscene hand gesture. The gesture communicates moderate to extreme contempt, and is roughly equivalent in meaning t ...
, for which he apologized. Nevin suffered a dislocated shoulder in spring training in 2003 while making a diving catch. He had surgery on his left shoulder and returned to the Padres in June. The Padres acquired Rondell White to replace Nevin, and White went on to have an All-Star season in left field. Ryan Klesko filled in at first base and rookie Sean Burroughs played well at third base, Nevin's favorite position. Nevin offered to be used in a utility role, alternating with White, Klesko, and Burroughs, as well as Xavier Nady in right field. In 2004, Nevin had more than 100 RBIs for the third time in his career, but underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee in July. Nevin was often frustrated with the dimensions of Petco Park. He hit a
double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...
during a 2004 game that he believed would have been a home run in other stadiums; when he reached
second base In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the infield, between second and first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet, needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and must ...
, he pointed toward Padres' general manager Kevin Towers' suite and threw down his helmet, resulting in a postgame argument. At the time, Petco Park had dimensions of 403 feet for left-center and 411 for right center (each would be shifted by at least ten feet eight years later). Towers said the two had a "love-hate" relationship. Two nights after
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
management informed Nevin that Xavier Nady would replace him as the starting first baseman, Nevin rejected a trade to the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
for
Sidney Ponson Sidney Alton Ponson (; born November 2, 1976) is an Aruban former Major League Baseball pitcher. As a player, Ponson stood at tall and weighed . He threw right-handed with a fastball that clocked out at 95 mph. When he made his major league ...
on July 25, 2005. Nevin exercised a
clause In language, a clause is a Constituent (linguistics), constituent or Phrase (grammar), phrase that comprises a semantic predicand (expressed or not) and a semantic Predicate (grammar), predicate. A typical clause consists of a subject (grammar), ...
in his contract that gave him the right to block transactions that would send him to any of eight franchises, one of which was the Orioles.


Texas Rangers (2005–2006)

He was instead traded on July 30, a day before the non-waiver trade deadline, to the Texas Rangers for Chan Ho Park, whose salary the Rangers wanted to dump. In his first thirteen games with the Rangers, the team posted a 1–12 record as Nevin batted 5-for-44. That put his season batting average under .200, known as the "
Mendoza Line The Mendoza Line is baseball jargon for a .200 batting average, the supposed threshold for offensive futility in Major League Baseball. It derives from light-hitting shortstop Mario Mendoza, who failed to reach .200 five times in his nine big l ...
". The Rangers benched Nevin in September, giving his starts to prospect first baseman Adrián González after the team was eliminated from playoff contention. In his first game back in the lineup on September 24, his average dropped to .182. He refuted opinions that he was losing bat speed. Nevin had one year remaining on a contract worth $9 million.
Manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
Buck Showalter said that despite Nevin's benching at the end of the 2005 season, he was his starting
designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...
for the 2006 season. Despite hopes that help from renowned
hitting coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisi ...
Rudy Jaramillo and the hitter-friendly Ameriquest Field would increase Nevin's offensive production in 2006, he continued to struggle. He batted .216 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs in 46 games. The Rangers promoted rookie Jason Botts on May 23, and Botts began to receive Nevin's playing time. Nevin had only two hits in his last 32 at-bats with the Rangers, though both of them were home runs.


Chicago Cubs (2006)

The
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
sought a slugging first baseman to replace the injured Derrek Lee, and the Rangers traded Nevin to Chicago on May 31, 2006. The Rangers received second baseman and outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr. in return. The Rangers also agreed to pay the difference in the two players' salaries.


Minnesota Twins (2006)

On August 31, the deadline for trades of players who had cleared waivers, the Cubs traded Nevin to the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
for cash and a player to be named later. To make room for Nevin, Twins' outfielder Shannon Stewart was placed on the 60-day
disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...
. With the Twins, Nevin stopped worrying about his statistics and enjoyed playing in a pennant race. Nevin appeared in the
MLB postseason The Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason is the annual playoff elimination tournament held to determine the champion of MLB in the United States and Canada. Since 2022, the postseason for each league— American and National—consists of tw ...
for the first time in his career with the Twins in 2006. The Twins were swept by 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 ...
in three games; Nevin appeared in one of the three games, batting 0-for-3. Unsigned at the beginning of the 2007 season, Nevin announced his retirement on May 12, 2007. During his twelve-season career, Nevin had a .270 batting average with 208 home runs and 743 RBIs in 1,217 games. After retiring, Nevin joined the Padres' pre-game radio show. He also joined
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
as an analyst for the college baseball regionals during the
College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is a baseball tournament held each June in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the culmination of the NCAA Division I baseball tournament—featuring 64 teams in the ...
.


Coaching career

Two seasons removed from his playing career, Nevin decided to return to baseball as a manager in 2008. That December, he was named the manager of the
Orange County Flyers The Fullerton Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Fullerton, California, in the United States. They were an independent franchise, not affiliated with either Major League Baseball ''or'' Minor League Baseball. The team played from 2 ...
in the independent
Golden Baseball League The Golden Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in San Ramon, California, with teams located in the Western United States, Western Canada and northwest Mexico. The GBL was not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the org ...
(GBL). The Flyers finished with a 37–39 record in 2009, fourth in the five-team GBL. Nevin planned to return to the Flyers in 2010, but a chance meeting at baseball's
winter meetings Representatives of all 30 Major League Baseball teams and their 120 Minor League Baseball affiliates convene for four days each December in the Winter Meetings to discuss league business and conduct off-season trades and transactions. Attendees in ...
led to Nevin's hiring as manager of the
Erie SeaWolves The Erie SeaWolves are an American professional baseball team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They compete in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) as a member of the Eastern League's Southwest Division, serving as the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Ti ...
, the Class-AA minor-league affiliate of the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
. He replaced the previous manager, Tom Brookens after Brookens was promoted to the Tigers' major-league first-base coach. Nevin managed the SeaWolves for one season. On November 11, 2010, Nevin was named manager of the
Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A baseball team nicknamed the ...
, the Tigers' Class AAA minor league affiliate, and began to be considered as a potential future MLB manager. Catcher Omir Santos described his managing the Mud Hens as "like having a big league manager in lass AAA" Nevin had his first taste of coaching in the big leagues when he was added to
Jim Leyland James Richard Leyland (born December 15, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager. He serves as a special assistant to the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Leyland led the Florida Marlins to t ...
's staff as an extra coach for the Tigers 2011 playoff run. On August 31, 2013, Nevin was fired after the team's final home game of the season. Nevin's record as manager was 192–238; the team never finished higher than third in the International League's West division. The
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
named Nevin as manager of the Reno Aces, their Class AAA affiliate, for the 2014 season. In his first season with Reno, he guided the Aces to a Pacific Coast League-best 81–63 record and an eventual Pacific Coast League Championship Series berth. After the season, the Astros interviewed Nevin for their open managerial position. However Nevin remained the manager of the Reno Aces for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. On November 7, 2016, the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
named Nevin their third-base coach for the 2017 season, succeeding Roberto Kelly. After the 2017 season, 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 ...
hired Nevin to be their third base coach. The Yankees did not renew his contract for the 2022 season.


Los Angeles Angels

On November 29, 2021, Nevin was hired by the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
to serve as the team's third base coach for the 2022 season. On June 7, 2022, following the firing of
Joe Maddon Joseph John Maddon (born February 8, 1954) is an American former professional baseball manager (baseball), manager and coach. He has managed the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). After playing ...
, Nevin was named the Angels' interim manager. On the same day, Nevin managed his first game, but lost to the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
6–5. On June 9, 2022, the Angels defeated the Red Sox 5–2, giving Nevin his first major league win as a manager as well as snapping the team's 14-game losing streak. On June 27, 2022, Nevin was suspended 10 games for the intentional throwing at
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 ...
outfielder Jesse Winker by Angels pitcher
Andrew Wantz Andrew Hunter Wantz (born October 13, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels, for whom he made his MLB debut in 202 ...
while warnings were in place during a game against the Mariners the previous day. On October 5, 2022, the Angels retained Nevin as the team's manager for the 2023 season. In 2023, in a game between the Los Angeles Angels and the New York Yankees, Phil Nevin was ejected from the game twice during the ninth inning with the score locked at 2–2. The Yankees would go on to win the game 3–2 in the 10th innings. After finishing the 2023 season with a record, the Angels announced that Nevin would not return to the organization for the 2024 season.


Managerial record


Personal life

Nevin was diagnosed with
asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...
at two years old. Nevin was hospitalized and treated for asthma five times between 1987 and May 1990, each stay lasting about five days. Nevin is also allergic to grass. At 19 years old, he told the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' that he had half the lung capacity of a typical 17-year-old. Nevin's first daughter, Koral, was born during his freshman year at Cal State Fullerton; he is no longer in a relationship with Koral's mother. He met his wife, Kristin, at Cal State Fullerton. The couple have two children together; though they were separated during the late 1990s, the couple reconciled. His son, Tyler, made his MLB debut with the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
in 2021. Another son, Kyle, played college baseball for
Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...
and was drafted by the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
in 2022 MLB Draft. Nevin lives in the Heritage Estates neighborhood of
Poway, California Poway () is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. Poway's rural roots influenced its motto "The City in the Country". The city had a population of 48,841 as of the 2020 United States census. Poway is part of San Diego's East ...
, along with San Diego sporting figures including
Bruce Bochy Bruce Douglas Bochy (; born April 16, 1955) is an American professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former catcher who is the manager of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). During his playing ...
and
LaDainian Tomlinson LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979), nicknamed "LT", is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college football career with the T ...
. The neighborhood suffered significant damage in the
October 2007 California wildfires The October 2007 California wildfires, also known as the Fall 2007 California firestorm, were a series of about thirty wildfires (17 of which became major wildfires) that began igniting across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 h ...
. Nevin hosted a baseball camp for children aged six through 16 in 2010. On May 11, 2021, the Yankees announced that Nevin had tested positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
. He also developed a staph infection, and lost .


See also

* 1992 College Baseball All-America Team *
Golden Spikes Award The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to ...


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nevin, Phil 1971 births Living people Anaheim Angels players Baseball coaches from California Baseball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball players Cal State Fullerton Titans football players Chicago Cubs players College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award winners Detroit Tigers players Golden Spikes Award winners Houston Astros players Jacksonville Suns players Lake Elsinore Storm players Lakeland Tigers players Las Vegas Stars (baseball) players Los Angeles Angels coaches Los Angeles Angels managers Major League Baseball catchers Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball third base coaches Major League Baseball third basemen Minnesota Twins players National League All-Stars New York Yankees coaches Olympic baseball players for the United States Portland Beavers players San Francisco Giants coaches San Diego Padres players Baseball players from Fullerton, California Texas Rangers players Tucson Toros players Toledo Mud Hens managers Toledo Mud Hens players All-American college baseball players