Maximo Nelson

From BR Bullpen

Maximo Nelson

BR Minors page

Biographical Information[edit]

Maximo Nelson has pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball. He spent six seasons in the minors.

Nelson was known as "Willie Pie" when he was signed by scouts Carlos Rios, Victor Mata, and Rudy Jabalera for the New York Yankees in October 2000. His age was revised up 22 months when he was forced to use his proper visa prior to the 2003 season.

Nelson debuted as a pro with the 2001 DSL Yankees, posting a 2.13 ERA. In 2002, he fell to 1-3, 6.32 in the Dominican Summer League. Nelson improved to 3-0, 1.66 in 2003. In '04, he made it out of the DSL. With the GCL Yankees, the tall right-hander posted a 6-3, 2.64 record with 54 strikeouts in 54 2/3 IP. He was third in the Gulf Coast League in wins (one behind Scott Mitchinson and Jairo Asencio) and tied Anthony Swarzak for 8th in ERA. In the playoffs, he got the win in the finale, with one run in five innings against a GCL Red Sox team led by Hanley Ramirez.

Nelson's career came to an end. He was deported from the USA due to a fake marriage immigration plot, banned for life from Major League Baseball. That did not stop him from remaining active in the Yankees system in the Dominican. In 2005, the 23-year-old was 2-4 with a 2.44 ERA for the DSL Yankees1, fanning 60 in 55 innings. During 2006, his 5th year in the DSL, he was 4-2 with a 1.18 ERA for the DSL Yankees2. Had he qualified, he would have finished fifth in the low-scoring circuit in ERA.

Nelson signed with the Ra'anana Express of the Israel Baseball League and went 5-3 with a 3.55 ERA in 2007, striking out 85 in 63 1/3 IP.

That impressed the Chunichi Dragons enough to sign Nelson. He pitched six games in relief in 2008, giving up 9 hits, 4 walks and 2 runs in 6 innings and striking out six. He was 1-3 with a save and a 3.58 ERA in 26 games in 2009, K'ing 49 in 50 innings.

In February 2010, Nelson was arrested for violating Japan's weapons control law when a bullet was found in his luggage. He said he had about 50 bullets in his bag earlier in the trip, but removed them before entering Japan - during the process, he missed one.

Sources[edit]

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