Kid Nichols--1906
Came across an item on Charles "Kid
Nichols" that led to my curiosity of seeing
who was this guy.
Well, he was a 7-time, 30-game winner
during the 1890's; leading the National
League in victories three times, while
topping the Senior Circuit in WHIP three
times, though he didn't know it at the
time.
Like most hurlers of the era, he was a
iron man, as Nichols would routinely toss
more than 300 innings in a season, while
he topped 400 innings during his first
five seasons.
"(He) took pride in two things - his
election to (the Hall of Fame), and the
fact he was never removed from a game
for a relief hurler." - from the New York
Times obituary of Kid Nichols, as
highlighted on his BR Bio page.
It's hard to imagine all those innings
coming from a 5'10' 175 lbs. pitcher.
Nichols would finish a 15-year career
with a 361-208, 2.96 mark, primarily for
the Boston Beaneaters, though he would
come out of retirement to serve as a
player manager for the St. Louis
Cardinals in the 1904-05.
He would hurl two more years for the
Phillies before retiring to the Kansas City
area. There he partner with Joe Tinker
(of Tinker to Evers to Chance fame) to
operate a chain of bowling alleys.
Nichols would be elected to the Hall of
Fame by the Veteran's Committee in
1949.
(12/19/11)
