90's Box Breaks

Remember in 1993 when the Rockies and Marlins were the expansion teams? I was only 12 at the time but it was an exciting time nonetheless. I fondly remember one expansion draft pick player in particular, perhaps because of the fact that he was a pitcher, or because he was chosen from the Braves.

David Nied was a right handed pitcher best known as being the first pick in the 1992 expansion draft for the Colorado Rockies. David had many firsts with the Rockies; some memorable, some not so memorable.

He pitched the first game for the Rockies, taking the first loss to the New York Mets. He also had the first strikeout, first walk, first complete game, and first complete shutout for the Rockies. He went 5-9 that year with the Rockies, and then 9-7 in 1994.

The next 2 years, he played sparingly but won no more games but lost 2 in 1996. That same year, he was granted free agency and joined the Cincinnati Reds. However, he didn’t play while on the team and retired from baseball with an arm injury.

As of 2006, he was selling cylinder heads for his fathers company and was noted as being engaged to Heather Cranford, a former contestant on The Bachelor.

Such a far cry from a player who, in 1992 for the Atlanta Braves, went 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA.

1993 Finest David Nied