Former Phillies, Twins catcher and WS champion Tom Nieto dead at 65
A member of two World Series teams, Tom Nieto, who played for the Expos, Cardinals, Phillies, and Twins during his 7-year MLB career has died at 65.
1987 World Series champion Tom Nieto passed away March 27 after suffering a heart attack, per Nieto's sister. He was 65 years old. Nieto, a former catcher with the St.
Louis Cardinals , Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies , played on teams that reached the World Series twice (1985, 1987) in his seven-year career. Nieto's MLB career Nieto was a highly touted prospect before his MLB career; he was drafted in the third round of the 1981 draft. He endured a solid career in the minors, ranking high in the Cardinals' system before finally joining the club in 1984.
Nieto helped the Cardinals reach the 1985 World Series, though the team ultimately lost to the Kansas City Royals in seven games. Nieto would return to the Fall Classic in 1987 though as a member of the Twins. This time, Nieto's team would emerge victorious, taking down Nieto's former team, the Cardinals, in six games.
Nieto's final regular season came in 1990 as a member of the Phillies. While he did sign a minor league contract with the Cardinals for 1991, Nieto would spend most of the decade as a coach. He began his coaching career with the Chattanooga Lookouts, a Cincinnati Reds affiliate, in 1992.