Galley: Cole Harbour's Steve Nelson drafted by the Dodgers in 2001
November 27, 2020
By Allen Galley
Most of the information in this article comes from contemporary news sources (Daily News & Chronicle Herald).
On June 5, 2001, Steve Nelson of Cole Harbour made Nova Scotia history when he was drafted in the fifth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This was the highest a Nova Scotian was ever drafted at the time. Nelson was happy to be taken that high (160th overall) as he was hoping to be selected somewhere in the 10th to 15th round.
He had a 91 mile per hour fastball and was considered a good hitter for a pitcher as he played shortstop when not pitching until the previous summer. Besides the Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays, Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox (who gave him a private workout at Fenway days before the draft) all were interested in drafting Nelson.
Fellow Cole Harbour resident, Dave Detienne was drafted by the Dodgers in 1997 in the 25th round and played that season with their affiliate in Wilmington (South Atlantic League).
Nelson was to graduate from Cole Harbour High School a few weeks after the draft and planned on travelling to the Dodger’s spring training site in Vero Beach, Fla., to join the team’s affiliate in the the Gulf Coast League.
He also had offers to play ball at the University of Maine and Indian River Junior College (Florida). On June 15, he signed a minor league contract with the team, including a signing bonus that was estimated to be north of $100,000. The deal also included a scholarship plan and an incentive package.
He would make his professional debut in July. In that game, Nelson would pitch one inning of relief for the Gulf Coast League Dodgers against the Braves. He gave up two runs on two hits and a walk. The pitching coach told him to throw all fastballs as it was his first pitching appearance of any kind in three weeks. He would finish the season with a 1-2 record, 2.17 ERA, 29 IP in 10 games (6 starts).
Nelson was a multi-sport athlete. He was taken by the Halifax Mooseheads in the seventh round (104th overall) in the 1999 QMJHL draft. He had played major midget with the Dartmouth Subways.
Quotes:
- “I guess it is kind of a dream come true. I never really thought about it until the last year or so. Then when it came closer to reality, it was on my mind quite a bit.” – Nelson on being drafted by the Dodgers.
- “I didn’t really care where I went, I was just hoping to be picked.”
- “I think the way things work is that they send something out in the mail and once I sign the paper, then the negotiations begin”