Nixon was originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 10th round of the 1980 Major League Baseball Draft out of West Columbus High School in Cerro Gordo, North Carolina. He began his professional career the following season with the Wausau Timbers of the Single-A Midwest League. He spent most of the next two seasons at Single-A as well. In 1983, while with the Bakersfield Mariners Nixon stole 144 bases in just 135 games, one short of the minor league record of 145 by Vince Coleman set the same year.\n', '

In 1984, Nixon was promoted to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, where he continued to impress on the basepaths, stealing 102 bases. Unfortunately, he suffered a compound fracture in his left leg in 1985, which stalled his promising career. The injury cost him almost 2 years of his career but did not take away much of his speed. He ran a 6.25 sixty-yard dash prior to the injury and a 6.3 after.[citation needed]\n', '

Despite not playing at all in 1985 and appearing in only 12 games in 1986, Nixon made the Mariners\' Opening Day roster. He started the season\'s first game as Seattle\'s center fielder and leadoff hitter, coming to the plate four times with two walks and one stolen base. Although he continued to start for the Mariners, Nixon did not get his first hit until the season\'s fifth game, a run-scoring double off Les Straker. On May 1, with Nixon batting just .130, he was sent back to the minors, where he played for the Triple-A Calgary Cannons, the Mariners\' top farm team. He returned to the team in July, and finished with a much more respectable .250 average.\n', '

Return to Donell Nixon Autograph Profile