Rocky Nelson

Glenn Richard "Rocky" Nelson (November 18, 1924 – October 31, 2006) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played in Major League Baseball for all or parts of nine seasons between 1949 and 1961 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, Brooklyn Dodgers and Cleveland Indians. A native of Portsmouth, Ohio, Nelson batted and threw left-handed, stood 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg). He signed his first professional contract in 1942 with the Cardinals' organization. He then missed three seasons (1943–1945) while serving in the United States Army during World War II.

Prior to 1959, when he rejoined the Pirates, Nelson was a journeyman major leaguer, although he was one of the most feared hitters in minor league baseball. Apart from his 1949 rookie year, he had not spent more than half a season on a major league roster, playing for five different teams. Pittsburgh was one of three teams (the Dodgers and Cardinals were the others) who gave Nelson multiple opportunities during the 1950s. Reggie Otero, manager of the Triple-A Havana Sugar Kings from 1954–1956 and later a longtime coach for the Cincinnati Reds, saw Nelson clobber major league pitchers while playing winter baseball in Cuba. It was Otero's view that, for Nelson to gain a toehold in the major leagues, he needed a manager that would show patience toward him.