Ten years before American League hitters were bedazzled by the
Bird, they were jolted by Jumbo Jim. In July 1966 righthander Jim
Nash broke into the big leagues with the Kansas City Athletics
and won his first seven decisions--the best start by an AL rookie
since Whitey Ford reeled off nine straight victories in 1950. The
21-year-old Nash, at 6'5" and 230 pounds the heftiest hurler on
the A's staff, ended the season with numbers as gaudy as Kansas
City's green-and-gold uniforms: a 12--1 record, the league's top
winning percentage (.923) and a 2.06 ERA. He finished second to
Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommie Agee in balloting for Rookie
of the Year, and in a rotation that also included 20-year-old
Catfish Hunter (9--11 in '66) and 21-year-old Blue Moon Odom
(5--5), Jumbo Jim was the brightest young star.

So did Nashmania approach the sensation caused by Mark (the Bird)
Fidrych after he burst onto the scene with the Detroit Tigers in
1976? "I could walk down the street in Kansas City without anyone
recognizing me," Nash says. "We were a last-place team. The press
gave us good coverage, but it wasn't close to what Fidrych got."

That was fine with Nash, who, at 57, still treasures his
anonymity. Most people he meets in his job as an analyst for Bell
South don't know that he was a major leaguer, and Nash doesn't
talk about his playing days unless he's asked. "I'm proud I
played, but it was just an occupation," says Nash, who orders,
activates and maintains ISDN accounts. "It's not that big a

As a rookie Nash relied on pinpoint command of his 91-mph
fastball to get batters out. Later in his career he developed an
off-speed curve, and he was a 13-game winner in 1968 and '70, but
chronic shoulder trouble kept him from achieving the greatness
suggested by his rookie performance. After going 68--64 in seven
seasons combined with the A's, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia
Phillies, he retired because of a torn rotator cuff. In 1973 he
returned to his hometown of Marietta, Ga., with his wife,
Merrill, and their two young sons, Jim Jr. and Danny. "Back then
when you couldn't get anybody out, teams just said, 'See, ya,'"
says Nash, who has been with Bell South for 23 years. "It was
time to come home and find a real job."

After his baseball career ended, Nash kept his hand in the game
by coaching his children's teams and inaugurating the baseball
program at nearby Kennesaw State, a Division II school, in 1985.
(Nash was the coach for the first season.) Jim Jr. and Danny
played baseball at Shorter College, an NAIA school in Rome, Ga.,
and Stetson, respectively. Daughter Kathy is a Spanish major and
cheerleader at Georgia.

Like most fans Nash, who earned $5,000 as a Kansas City rookie,
is amazed by current baseball economics. "It's more of a business
for everybody, not just the owners," he says. "Guys make more in
a day than I make in a year." --Stephen Cannella

COLOR PHOTO: JOHN G. ZIMMERMAN (COVER) SHOOTING STAR A rookie sensation, Nash faded quickly. COLOR PHOTO: GREG FOSTER [See caption above]

After arm trouble ended his major league career, Nash returned
to Marietta, Ga., where he works as a Bell South analyst.

Eagle (-2)
Birdie (-1)
Bogey (+1)
Double Bogey (+2)