Win–loss record 46–50 Role Baseball Coach Earned run average 4.52 Height 1.82 m | Strikeouts 381 Name Al Nipper | |
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Education Truman State University | ||
2002- Al Nipper Interview
Albert Samuel Nipper (born April 2, 1959) is an American professional baseball coach and a former Major League pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians. In 2015, he served as pitching coach of the Omaha Storm Chasers, Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.
Nipper graduated from Hazelwood West High School in Hazelwood, Missouri and Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri (formerly Northeast Missouri State University). Nipper pitched for the Red Sox from 1983 to 1987, the Cubs in 1988 and the Indians in 1990. In 144 total games played (124 as a starting pitcher), he finished with a career record of 46–50 and a 4.52 earned run average in 797⅔ innings pitched, with 381 strikeouts and 303 bases on balls. He was also one of the top first year players in the ballot for Rookie of the Year in 1984.
In addition to his work in the minor leagues, Nipper has been a scout and coach for Major League clubs since the mid-1990s. He was the MLB pitching coach of the Red Sox (mid-1995 through mid-1996) and Royals (2001–02). He also served as the Red Sox' bullpen coach in 2006, although he spent much of that season as the team's interim pitching coach because of the surgery-induced absence of Dave Wallace. Nipper has also held roving minor league pitching instructor posts for Boston and the Texas Rangers. From 2007 to 2011, he was a special assignment scout for the Red Sox, specializing in evaluating pitchers.
In 2012–13, Nipper was the minor league pitching coordinator of the Detroit Tigers and he spent 2014 as pitching coach of the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens in the Tigers' system.