Russ Nixon, American baseball player, Died at 81

  Sports

Russell Eugene Nixon was born on February 19, 1935, and died on November 9, 2016.

He was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball.

He was a veteran of 55 years in professional baseball, Nixon managed at virtually every level of the sport, from the lowest minor league to MLB assignments with the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves.

During the spring of 2008, Nixon, 73 at the time, was named a roving instructor in the Texas Rangers’ farm system by its new club president, Nolan Ryan.

At the end his final Major League managing record was a poor 231–347 (.400), however,  Nixon remained in the game as a minor-league manager and instructor, except for 1992, when he returned to the American League to spend one year as a coach for the Seattle Mariners.

When had reach 70 years old, Russ spent the 2005 season as manager of the Greeneville Astros, rookie-level Appalachian League affiliate of the Houston Astros, and spent 2006–07 as a roving instructor in the Houston farm system.

Russ Nixon passed away at 81 years old.