Willard Roland "Nemo" Gaines (December 23, 1897 – January 26, 1979) was an American military officer and baseball player. He served as an officer in the United States Navy and played briefly as a Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher with the Washington Senators.

Biography

Gaines was born on December 23, 1897, in Alexandria, Virginia. He attended the United States Naval Academy. He pitched for the Navy Midshipmen baseball team, lettering from 1919 through 1921. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1921. Gaines 1921 naval academy

After graduating, he received a special leave from the Navy to pitch for the Washington Senators of Major League Baseball (MLB). In his MLB debut, he relieved George Mogridge in a game against the New York Yankees, facing Bob Meusel, Wally Pipp, Aaron Ward and Wally Schang. On July 2, he pitched innings against the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

. He pitched another inning against the Athletics the next day. His final appearance came on July 16 against the Cleveland Indians. In total, Gaines appeared in four games for the Senators between June 26 and July 16, 1921, pitching

innings An innings is one of the divisions of a cricket match during which one team takes its turn to bat. Innings also means the period in which an individual player bats (acts as either striker or nonstriker). Innings, in cricket, and rounders, is bot ...

while giving up five

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

, two walks and no runs. The Senators lost all four games he appeared in. Gaines was the only Navy Midshipman to play in MLB until Mitch Harris made his big league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015. Gaines returned to the Navy after his brief stint in MLB. He served as an officer, reaching the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. During World War II, Gaines served as U.S. naval attaché, stationed in Peru. He retired in 1946 to Virginia, where he raised Hereford cattle and opened a hardware store with his brother. He was a senior warden in the Episcopal Church at the time of his death. Gaines died on January 26, 1979, in Warrenton, Virginia, and was interred in Arlington National Cemetery.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaines, Nemo 1897 births 1979 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War II Baseball players from Virginia Major League Baseball pitchers Navy Midshipmen baseball players Sportspeople from Alexandria, Virginia Washington Senators (1901–1960) players United States Navy officers