Jonathan Keith Nunnally (born November 9, 1971) is a former professional baseball

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...

. He played in the major leagues from 1995-2000. He also played part of 2000 with the

Orix BlueWave , styled as ORIX, is a Japanese diversified financial services group headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, and Osaka, Japan. ORIX offers leasing, lending, rentals, life insurance, real estate financing and development, venture capital, investment an ...

in Japan.

Playing career

Nunnally's major-league career began in 1995, after the Kansas City Royals drafted him from the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

' organization in the 1994 Rule 5 draft. He made his debut on April 29, 1995, hitting a home run off of

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

pitcher Melido Perez in his first at-bat. In , while playing for the Indianapolis Indians in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, Nunnally tested positive for steroids, and received a 15-game suspension, in what would be Nunnally's last season as a professional player.

Coaching career

After retiring, Nunnally went into coaching. He worked in the

organization starting in . On December 8, 2009, he was named the new hitting coach for the Indians, a position he held until being fired on June 19, 2011. On January 7, 2013, the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

announced that Nunnally would be the hitting coach for their Triple-A affiliate

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...

. He was moved to the Double-A

New Hampshire Fisher Cats The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major league club. During the team's first seaso ...

hitting coach on January 13, 2014. In January 2015, he was hired as the hitting coach for the

Salem Red Sox The Salem Red Sox are a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB), based in Salem, an independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia. The team competes at the Single-A level in the Carolina League. Ho ...

, a minor league affiliate of the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

. In January 2016, he was announced as the hitting coach of the

Portland Sea Dogs The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Sea Dogs became part of the Red Sox syst ...

. In February 2018, he was announced as the outfield and base running coordinator for the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...

farm system. In 2019, he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates organization and served as the hitting coach for the

Altoona Curve The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of th ...

. Before the 2020 season, he was announced as the hitting coach for the Indianapolis Indians. In 2022, Nunnally was again named Hitting Coach for the Altoona Curve.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nunnally, Jon 1971 births Living people African-American baseball coaches African-American baseball players American sportspeople in doping cases American expatriate baseball players in Japan American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Baseball coaches from North Carolina Baseball players from North Carolina Baseball players suspended for drug offenses Boston Red Sox players Cincinnati Reds players Columbus RedStixx players Indianapolis Indians players Kansas City Royals players Kinston Indians players Major League Baseball outfielders Miami Dade Sharks baseball players Minor league baseball coaches Memphis Redbirds players Mexican League baseball center fielders Naranjeros de Hermosillo players New York Mets players Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders Omaha Golden Spikes players Omaha Royals players Orix BlueWave players Pawtucket Red Sox players Piratas de Campeche players Watertown Indians players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople Hargrave Military Academy alumni