The Seattle Mariners signed Nunez as an undrafted amateur free agent in the spring of 1979. Seattle assigned Nunez to play for the Bellingham Mariners of the Northeast League. Playing on a team that included future MLB players like Bud Black, Jim Presley, and former first round pick Al Chambers, Nunez posted a 4-1 record with a 2.08 ERA, and at the age of 16, was the youngest player on the roster. The next season, Nunez moved on to a higher level of single A ball, playing for the Mariners affiliate in Wausau. It was for Wausau that Nunez posted his best record as a pro, going 16-3, with a 2.47 E.R.A and completed an impressive 13 games. That season re corded 205 strikeouts. Seattle promoted Nunez the next season to their Triple A team, the Salt Lake City Gulls. Not only was 1982 Nunez's first year in Triple A, having by passed Double A completely, but he also had his major league debut that year as well, making a relief appearance, allowing 4 his in three innings of work, while striking out one batter and walked two in a 7-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins. For the next few seasons, Nunez would continue to split time between Triple A and the major leagues as the Mariners attempted to convert Nunez from a starting pitcher into a relief pitcher. In 1985, Nunez finished with a 7-3 record and 16 saves, the most saves he'd ever record in a season on the major league level. In 1988, Seattle traded Nunez to the New York Mets in exchange for pitcher Gene Walter, whom the Mets acquired in the Kevin McReynolds trade a season prior. Nunez, made just a handful of appearances for the Mets, as he would for the Detroit Tigers and Oakland A's. In May 1994, the A's released Nunez and he never pitched in the major leagues again.
The B.J. Surhoff incident
In August on 1993, the A's were playing a series against the Milwaukee Brewers. During a double header, the teams got into a bench clearing brawl. A's catcher Troy Neel tackled Dickie Thon as the Brewers. Not long after that, Nunez, who'd been in the clubhouse, raced on the field and decked Brewers catcher B.J. Surhoff. The punch left Surhoff with a bloody mouth and he was removed from the game in order to get stitches. TV replays seemed to show that Surhoff was being restrained by A's manager Tony LaRussa A's outfielder Mike Adrete and Brewers manager Phil Garner. Nunez claimed he simply reacted and did not see Surhoff being held back. Nunez said he was upset because Surhoff had shoved A's outfielder Scott Lydy. Nunez, who'd pitched in the first game of the double header, did admit that he was wrong for throwing the punch.
