Ernie Nevel

Ernie Wyre Nevel

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 200 lb.

• Debut September 26, 1950
• Final Game May 30, 1953
• Born August 17, 1918 in Charleston, MO USA
• Died July 10, 1988 in Springfield, MO USA

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Biographical Information

Right-hander Ernie Nevel was signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Yankees before the 1946 season. Nevel was farmed out to the Augusta Tigers of the South Atlantic League where the 27-year-old would go 5-3 with a 4.85 ERA in 36 appearances. This would be the first year of nine he would spend in the minors. After four more years of minor league baseball and tying for the league lead with a 21-win performance in the Texas League with the pennant-winning Beaumont Roughnecks in 1950, Ernie would make it to The Show. He got a very short look by the Yankees in late September of the year, make three appearances, losing one game and having a 9.95 ERA.

The Kansas City Blues of the American Association would be Ernie's home for the biggest part of the 1951 season and the 32-year-old would go 14-11 with a 3.86 ERA. He would show up again in Yankee Stadium, appearing in one game, pitching four innings with no decisions and that was it for his second shot at the major league hitters.

It was back to Kansas City in 1952 where he went 7-6 in 22 appearances and on August 28, 1952 he was traded by the New York Yankees along with Jim Greengrass, Bob Marquis, Johnny Schmitz and $35,000 to the Cincinnati Reds for Ewell Blackwell.

Nevel would be with the Reds in 1953 for 10 appearances, all in relief, and would have no decisions and a 6.10 ERA. He made his final appearance on May 30, 1953 and this would finish off his major league run with a 0-1 record in 14 appearances. The Detroit Tigers snapped Ernie up on June 1, 1953, shuffled him off to the Buffalo Bisons of the International League and he finished out the year at 9-8 with a 4.10 ERA.

Nevel would finish off the last of his nine minor league years in 1954 with the Buffalo team again, as well as the American Association St. Paul Saints, not pitching well, and at age 35 decided to call it a career. Ernie finished out his minor league time with a 77-68 record and a 4.01 ERA.

Nevel, who worked as a pipefitter in Kansas City for 20 years, was also an instructor at the Sho-Me Baseball School from 1978 until his death on July 10, 1988, at age 69, in Springfield, MO.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s