The Justice

Media Credit: Julian Agin-Liebes Nelson Figuero '98 stands with his retired jersey. Below the jersey are the logos of the MLB teams he played for.

A journeyman contributor who has scraped his way onto five Major League Baseball rosters throughout his 14-year professional career, Nelson Figueroa '98 returned to his alma mater for the first time in 10 years, where he was the man of the hour at last Saturday's Brandeis baseball alumni game. After reuniting with his old baseball family and interacting with current baseball team members, Figueroa was forever enshrined in Brandeis history as the team retired his number 2 jersey in a private ceremony.

Second baseman Jon O'Brion '10 wore that number last season, but will likely wear number 4 in the spring since number 2 will no longer be available.

"It's just an exciting time right now," Figueroa told the Justice after the ceremony. "To be honored in this fashion, it's hard to put into words what it means. But for someone who's going to see that jersey number retired, and ask why, and hear the story behind it, it's going to be something that forever lives on at Brandeis and hopefully inspire[s] some future dreamers."

Figueroa was drafted by the New York Mets in the 30th round of the 1995 MLB Draft and became the first Brandeis alumnus to play Major League Baseball when he debuted with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000. Since then he has spent time in the Major and Minor Leagues with Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh and most recently has "come full circle," as he described, by playing with the Mets over the last two seasons.

Figueroa was called up to the Majors this season on Aug. 3 from Triple-A Buffalo and earned a permanent spot in the Mets' starting rotation on Aug. 25, when New York's top pitcher Johan Santana suffered a season-ending injury. Prior to being called up, Figueroa had a 2.25 ERA in 17 starts in Triple-A. He was named the Warren Spahn Most Valuable Pitcher for his team at the end of the Minor League season in early September, despite his time spent at the Major League level.

Since joining the rotation, Figueroa has made eight starts for the Mets and recorded 44 strikeouts with a 3.22 ERA.

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