Laynce Nix part of Kansas Stars’ younger crop of ex-big leaguers
The only pitcher Laynce Nix faced more often than Tim Hudson during Nix’s 11-year major-league career was Roy Oswalt.
Those three are teammates, along with 22 other former big-league baseball players, for the Kansas Stars, who debut in the National Baseball Congress World Series on Aug. 6 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
Such overlap isn’t rare among Stars players, most of whom played their prime seasons in the early- or mid-2000s. The sharing of so many common experiences, circumstances and opponents is sure to make for some interesting stories when the Stars align in Wichita.
“I think that’s what kind of makes everybody laugh now,” Nix said. “There were a lot of connections made and a lot of things that haven’t been spoken about. I don’t know that everybody knows how everybody feels about everyone. But we all did the same things and I think there’s somewhat of a mutual respect there.”
Nix doesn’t know Oswalt well, but their history may come up when they share a dugout and a clubhouse next month. Nix, a 35-year-old former outfielder for five teams, had 12 hits in 30 at-bats against Oswalt, with three home runs, four doubles and a triple.
Nix had eight hits in 29 at-bats against Hudson, including a homer, but Hudson struck him out 10 times. Nix faced Roger Clemens, another Stars pitcher, nine times and future teammate Josh Beckett three.
“That’s sort of a strange one,” Nix said of his success against Oswalt. “I don’t know what my numbers are against Hudson, I know for a while they were good. I just know that I’m just excited to be on Huddy’s team one time, because I got bigger doses of (playing against) him than I wanted.
“It’s just neat for me. I respect those guys, they’re unbelievable. I don’t know how to explain the numbers with me individually against them. My career doesn’t dictate that I would do that, I don’t think. But sometimes against guys that are so good, you really lock it in.”
Nix, a .240 career hitter who had three seasons of 14-plus home runs and hit .291 in part-time duty for the Cincinnati Reds 2010, is looking forward to another reunion. He hasn’t played on the same team as his brother, Jayson, since high school in Midland, Texas.
The Nix brothers were contacted by Adam LaRoche, who assembled the team along with former Wichita State and Detroit Tigers left-hander Nate Robertson, and they said yes without really knowing what they were getting into.
Laynce Nix still isn’t sure, but he revels in the opportunity to play with his younger brother. Jayson, 33, watched Laynce get drafted first and debut first in the major leagues. Like Robertson and LaRoche, the Nixes are and were a baseball-first family.
“There weren’t many people from where we were from that were drafted, so that was exciting,” Laynce said. “The next year (2001) when he got drafted in the first round, a higher round (fourth) than me, I’d never felt happier. He had always been, before then, kind of in my shadow, just being my little brother.
“For me to be a fourth-rounder and him to be a first-rounder, I thought that was awesome. I’ve been proud of him, and he really worked his tail off to be the player he was. It was a fun time. We were in the big leagues together at the same time, training together in the offseason.”
The Nix brothers are the youngest position players among the Stars who played in MLB – only Clemens’ son Koby, the only non-major-leaguer, is younger. That could mean significant playing time for both.
On a team with Clemens, Hudson, Oswalt, Chipper Jones, J.D. Drew and several more former All-Stars, simply playing is the perk.
“The more time’s gone on, the more I feel honored to be part of it,” Laynce Nix said. “It’s a good group of players, obviously. I think it’s one of those things where if they’re willing to accept the challenge to come play, so will I.”
This story was originally published July 22, 2016 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Laynce Nix part of Kansas Stars’ younger crop of ex-big leaguers."