Jeff Nelson (baseball) - Outspoken

Outspoken

Nelson fell out of favor with the Mariners and Yankees as a result of his frank criticisms.

• In 2000, Nelson told the New York press that Yankees manager and All-Star Game skipper Joe Torre would regret not naming him to the AL team at the Mid-Summer Classic. Then, he returned to Seattle as a free agent in 2001, where he produced a solid season and earned his coveted All-Star selection.
• In 2003, Nelson blasted Seattle management when they failed to acquire an impact player at the trading deadline. Nelson was then traded to the Yankees, where he played a pivotal role in the postseason. The Mariners slowly lost the AL West lead and failed to make the post season by a very small margin. Further, the team's reluctance to spend money resulted in their collapse in 2004, when the Mariners lost 99 games.