Mardie Cornejo

Nieves Mardie Cornejo (born August 5, 1951 in Wellington, Kansas) was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher in 1978 for the New York Mets. He is the father of Nate Cornejo who pitched for the Detroit Tigers from 2001 to 2004.

Cornejo was original signed by the Washington Senators in the third round of the 1970 amateur draft, and again in the second round of the secondary phase of the 1970 draft, but did not sign. The Mets drafted him in the third round of the secondary phase of the 1971 amateur draft, and were also unable to sign him. He eventually signed with the Mets when they drafted him again in the 21st round of the 1973 amateur draft.

After five season in the Mets' minor league system, he made it to the big league club out of Spring training in 1978. In the second game of the season against the Montreal Expos, Cornejo entered the game in the eighth inning with the Expos leading 5-2, and pitched the final two innings without giving up a run. The Mets, meanwhile, scored two in the eighth and two in the ninth to earn the victory for Cornejo in his Major League debut. Despite respectable numbers (4-2, 2.45 earned run average), Cornejo was back in Tidewater by the end of the season.

Prior to the start of the 1979 season, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for Ed Glynn. After one season with the Tigers' double A affiliate, the Evansville Triplets, Cornejo retired from baseball.