Former AHS, AU standout Nix living a boyhood dream

By Joe McAdory

Published: March 10, 2008

Michael Nix is “living a dream.”

He shares the same pitching mounds as boyhood heroes John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, shares the clubhouse with Chipper Jones, and pitches for the major league team he grew up cheering for.

Nix, a prospect who spent last season as a reliever with the Class AA Mississippi Braves, has been working out and playing through the early goings of spring training with the Atlanta Braves at the team’s facility in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

“It’s surreal,” said Nix, a 2001 Auburn High School graduate. “You’re out there on the mound and (Braves manager) Bobby Cox is yelling your name from the dugout for encouragement.

“We played the Tigers on Thursday. I was sitting in the bullpen, which was right next to the Tigers’ bullpen. There was Dontrelle Willis warming up for them, while we had Tom Glavine warming up. They were right in front of me. I watch and see what they are doing and try to learn from that.”

Nix is one of several minor league pitchers in the Braves’ organization practicing and playing with the major league squad, giving pitchers on the Braves’ current roster a chance to rest their arms during the exhibition season.

Nix noted that many starters during spring training will pitch just “an inning or two,” which can put pressure on a team’s bullpen.
“I’m there for support,” he said. “I’ll be working on fine-tuning my pitches.

“I want to get better with my location and have more consistency with my breaking balls.

“I’m trying to win a spot and prove my worth. For the first part of the spring, there are innings for us (pitchers) to eat up. I’m trying to take the opportunity that’s been given to me.”

Through Sunday, Nix has pitched in two spring training games. The first, Feb. 29, he pitched the final inning of a 10-3 win over Los Angeles, allowing a run on two hits and a walk with one strikeout.

“I did OK,” Nix said. “I have to realize the umpires have tighter strike zones. I’ve got to work on my breaking balls. It was a good experience.

“I was nervous in the bullpen. I was nervous when I ran out on to the field. But when the batter stepped in, it all went away.”

Nix’s pitched a scoreless ninth inning Friday against Detroit in a 9-6 defeat. He allowed a hit and a walk with one strikeout, bringing his spring ERA down to 4.50.

Though he believes he will start this season either back in AA Mississippi, where he had a 2.33 ERA in 69 2/3 innings last year, or at AAA Richmond, Nix realizes how tough the competition is to reach the big leagues.

“Down here, everyone is fighting for spots,” he said. “It’s cutthroat. But I realize it’s a business. We can’t keep everyone. Our bullpen has 10
mounds on it. There I am, pitching right next to nine others. Everyone is trying hard and everyone has good breaking balls. Obviously, they throw well or they wouldn’t be here.”

Since being drafted by the Braves in 2005, Nix has a career 13-13 minor league record and an ERA of 3.15 with 179 strikeouts against 81 walks.

His former high school coach, Matt Cimo, understands the challenges of playing with the goal of reaching the major leagues. Cimo played for eight years in the Giants, Phillies and Orioles organizations as an outfielder, four in either AA or AAA, without reaching the majors.

“I’m excited for him. Being in his position once, I know how hard it is to get there,” Cimo said. “But you never know, he’s just a phone call away.

“When he was in high school, he was one heck of an athlete. I knew he had a chance to be successful. It’s gratifying to see someone doing it.

“The year I was drafted (1983), there were 1,500 players picked and only 12 made it to the big leagues. It’s tough.”

Though the Braves feature a veteran rotation with Glavine, Smoltz, Tim Hudson and Mike Hampton, Nix realizes a wealth of young talent also infiltrated the team’s 40-man roster last season, which can be viewed as a negative or positive for him.

“That’s a drawback because they (the younger players with experience) have already been there,” Nix said. “But they (the Braves) will call up guys that get the job done.”

Nix, who went 5-3 and recorded 13 saves with a 3.20 ERA in 2005 at Auburn University, said big leaguers in camp are “more laid back” than the prospects.

“They know what it takes to get the job done,” he said. “In the minors, you do all of the drills and those things required. The big league guys have been around for five or 10 years. They know what they’re doing.”

Nix, 24, said if he is not placed on the Braves’ 40-man roster by the end of the season, another major league team has the option of picking up his contract. In the meantime, he wants to use this spring and season to fine-tune his reportraire of four pitches: fastball, change-up, slider and curve.

Nix admitted he prefers to lean on his fastball, but uses the change to “keep batters honest” and needs more consistency with his breaking ball.

“I’m in a good spot, but nothing is given to you,” he said. “I just need to be consistent, throw strikes and get people out. I’ll do whatever they need me to do. I can start if they need me to. I closed at Auburn. I feel like I’m in a good spot as far as that goes. I’m versatile.”

Nix says he visualizes his debut one day at Turner Field in Atlanta, a place he used to cheer future teammates on from the stands.

“I’ve thought about it a few times. I can talk to some of the guys and they give me their experiences on what it’s like,” he said. “They tell me about all of the screaming fans and the ground shaking.

“As a pitcher, you have to tune all of that out. But it’s an environment you live to play in. You get nervous, but it’s something you get used to.”
That’s a dream. What he has now is a reality.

“Sitting in the bullpen, having that jersey on, watching the big names like Gary Sheffield and Miguel Cabrera, that’s just amazing to me,” he said. “It’s a dream come true. It’s a dream and I’m living it.”

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