Brad Nelson

Infobox MLB player


width = 150
name =Brad Nelson
team =Milwaukee Brewers
number =40
position =First base
birthdate =birth date and age|1982|12|23
birthplace =city-state|Algona|Iowa
bats =Left
throws =Right
debutdate =September 1
debutyear =2008
debutteam =Milwaukee Brewers
statyear =September 4, 2008
stat1label =Batting average
stat1value =.333
stat2label =Home runs
stat2value =0
stat3label =Runs batted in
stat3value =0
awards =
teams =
*Milwaukee Brewers (by|2008–present)

John Bradley Nelson (born December 23, 1982 in Algona, Iowa) is a Major League Baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers. He has played primarily first base and outfield. He was acquired by the Brewers in the fourth round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft. For the mlby|2008 season, he played with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, but was called up to the Brewers on September 1; he made his major league debut that afternoon.

Baseball career

Nelson played high school baseball at Bishop Garrigan High School in Algona, Iowa. He was a pitcher and utility infielder. He started varsity halfway through his eighth grade summer and led the team to the state championship game as a sophomore. The team he played on that season continues to hold the state records for most runs (523), home runs (90), and RBI (461) in a season; Nelson himself holds the state records for most hits (83) and most RBI (91) in a season.

Nelson has played professionally for the Rookie Level Arizona League Brewers and Ogden Raptors, the Single-A Beloit Snappers and High Desert Mavericks, the Double-A Huntsville Stars, and the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. He was part of the by|2005 Sounds team that won the Pacific Coast League championship.

He was selected to play in the by|2002 Midwest League All-Star game in Lansing, Michigan, and the by|2004 Southern League All-Star game in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In both all-star appearances, he won the home run derby that was part of the All-Star festivities. He was also named the Milwaukee Brewers' 2002 Minor League Player of the Year, after leading all minor leaguers with 116 RBI and 49 doubles at the age of 19.

In addition to his positive career statistics, Nelson also holds the Pacific Coast League record for most strikeouts in a single game, with seven strike-outs in 11 plate appearances in a 24-inning game (the longest game in PCL history) in which the Nashville Sounds played against the New Orleans Zephyrs on May 5 and 6, by|2006.

On his second day with the Brewers, September 2, 2008, Nelson collected his first Major League hit, a pinch-hit double in the 10th inning against Luis Ayala of the New York Mets.

References

* [http://www.iahsaa.org/ia_bs_best.pdf Iowa High School Athletic Association, "Iowa High School Baseball's All-Time Best" (PDF)]
* [http://www.nashvillesounds.com Nashville Sounds Home Page]
* [http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2006_05_05_nozaaa_nasaaa_1 Minor League Baseball Official Site, May 5th Boxscore]