Gerald Smith Nyman (born November 23, 1942) is an American former left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1968 to 1970 for the Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres. He attended Brigham Young University.
Signed as an undrafted free-agent by the White Sox in 1965, Nyman began his professional career that year with the Sarasota Sun Sox. With them, he went 16âÂÂ11 with a 2.81 ERA in 30 games. In 192 innings pitched, he walked 137 batters. He split the 1966 season between the Deerfield Beach/Winter Haven Sun Sox, Fox Cities Foxes and Lynchburg White Sox, going a combined 6âÂÂ11 with a 2.46 ERA in 20 games. In 1967, he played for the Evansville White Sox, going 7âÂÂ4 with a 2.74 ERA in seven games.
Nyman spent most of the 1968 season with the Hawaii Islanders, going 7âÂÂ5 with a 3.09 ERA in 23 games with them. On August 24 of that year, he made his big league debut, facing the Minnesota Twins. He pitched 2/3 of an inning in relief in his first game, allowing a hit and a walk but surrendering no runs.
His first game would be the only relief appearance of his first big league seasons. He went on to start seven games for the White Sox, throwing a complete-game shutout in his first career start. In eight big league games in 1968, Nyman went 2âÂÂ1 with a 2.01 ERA.
In 20 games (10 starts) with the White Sox in 1969, Nyman went 4âÂÂ4 with a 5.29 ERA. His first start of the 1969 season was a complete-game shutout as well. He also spent some time in the minors that year as well, going 2âÂÂ3 with a 2.74 ERA in seven games with the Tucson Toros.
On March 30, 1970, Nyman was traded to the Padres for Tommie Sisk. He appeared in two games with the Padres, going 0âÂÂ2 with a 15.19 ERA. For the Salt Lake City Bees - with whom he spent most of the year - Nyman went 9âÂÂ13 with a 4.09 ERA in 37 games.
He played his final big league game on September 27, 1970, however he continued his minor league career until 1971. That year, he played for the Lodi Padres, Evansville Triplets and Hawaii Islanders, going a combined 2âÂÂ9 with a 4.59 ERA in 28 games.
Overall, he went 6âÂÂ7 with a 4.57 ERA in 30 big league games (17 starts). In the minors, he went 49âÂÂ56 with a 3.26 ERA in 166 games (129 starts).
Nyman was a Minor League Baseball coach and manager for over 30 years. He served as the pitching coach for the Idaho Falls Padres in 2003. From 2004 to 2006, he served as the minor league pitching coordinator for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In 2007 and 2008, he was the pitching coach for the Idaho Falls Chukars, and in 2009 he is the pitching coach for the Burlington Bees. He has also coached for the Salinas Spurs, Eugene Emeralds and Welland Pirates.