The first player to homer in his first two major league at-bats (Keith McDonald became the second in July 2000) Nieman accomplished that feat for the Browns at Fenway Park on September 14, 1951 against Boston’s Mickey McDermott. His next time up, he beat out a bunt. The following year, he became an everyday St. Louis outfielder, reaching career highs of 18 HR and 74 RBI.
Nieman later played regularly with the Tigers and Orioles, batting a high of .325 for Baltimore in 1958. He ended his major-league career as a pinch-hitter for the 1962 pennant-winning Giants, then played a year in Japan. A scout for the Indians, Dodgers, A’s, White Sox, and Yankees, he died suddenly while preparing to leave for spring training in March 1985.