Kid Nichols

Kid Nichols
Pitcher
Born: September 14, 1869(1869-09-14) Madison, Wisconsin
Died: April 11, 1953(1953-04-11) (aged 83) Kansas City, Missouri
Batted: Switch	Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 23, 1890 for the Boston Beaneaters
Last MLB appearance
May 18, 1906 for the Philadelphia Phillies
Career statistics
Win–Loss record	361–208
Earned run average	2.95
Strikeouts	1,868
Teams
As Player Boston Beaneaters (1890–1901) St. Louis Cardinals (1904–1905) Philadelphia Phillies (1905–1906) As Manager St. Louis Cardinals (1904–1905)
Career highlights and awards
National League pennant: 1891, 1892, 1893, 1897, 1898 7th-most wins in Major League history (361) 11th-most innings pitched in Major League history (5056.3) National League wins champion: 1896–1898 3-time National League shutout leader 11 20-win seasons 7 30-win seasons
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1949
Election Method	Veteran's Committee

Charles Augustus Nichols (September 14, 1869 – April 11, 1953), better known as Kid Nichols, was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Admired for his steadfast consistency year-in and year-out^{[citation needed]}, Nichols won 361 games, the 7th highest total in major league history. Nichols is the youngest pitcher^{[citation needed]} to win 300 games, reaching that milestone at the age of 30.^[1]

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Nichols entered the major leagues in 1890 with the Boston Beaneaters and was an instant success. Nichols went 27–19 with a 2.23 ERA and 222 strikeouts and began a string of ten consecutive seasons with 20 wins or more. Nichols also had a major league record seven 30 win seasons in this time (1891–1894, 1896–1898) with a career high of 35 in 1892.

Nichols had his first losing season in 1900 when he went 13–16 but improved to 19–16 the following year. After the 1901 season, Nichols purchased an interest in a minor league franchise in Kansas City. He left the Beaneaters to manage and pitch for the Kansas City club, where he won a total of 48 games in 1902 and 1903. After a two year hiatus from the major leagues, Nichols returned to the 20 win plateau for the eleventh and final time in his career in 1904 for a new team, the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished his career in 1906 with the Philadelphia Phillies, who picked him up off waivers in 1905. Nichols retired with 361 wins, a total exceeded at the time only by Cy Young, 208 losses, 1,868 strikeouts and a 2.95 ERA. He was a part of five National League pennant winners, all with the Boston Beaneaters (1891–93, 1897, 1898). His 361 victories ranks 7th all-time, and his 5056 1/3 innings pitched ranks 11th all-time.

After baseball, Nichols dabbled in the motion picture industry, partnering with Joe Tinker in running a business that distributed movies to theatres in the midwest, and opened bowling alleys in the Kansas City area. An accomplished bowler himself, Nichols won Kansas City's Class A bowling championship at age 64.^[2]

Nichols was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949.

See also

• 300 win club
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• List of Major League Baseball saves champions
• List of Major League Baseball wins champions
• MLB All-Time Hit Batsmen List
• Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time
• Major League Baseball titles leaders

References

1. ^ "Kid Nichols Statistics and History". BaseballReference.com. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nichoki01.shtml. Retrieved 6 July 2011. 
2. ^ Bill Ferber (2007) A Game of Baseball: The Orioles, The Beaneaters and The Battle For The 1897 Pennant, University of Nebraska Press, ISBN 9780803211360, pg. 251

Bill Felber (2007), A Game of Brawl: The Orioles, the Beaneaters and the Battle For the 1897 Pennant. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978080327360, pg 251

External links

• Kid Nichols at the Baseball Hall of Fame
• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Obituary - TheDeadballEra.com

Preceded by Cy Young	National League Wins Champion 1896–1898 (1896 with Frank Killen)	Succeeded by Jay Hughes & Joe McGinnity
Preceded by Patsy Donovan	St. Louis Cardinals Manager 1904–1905	Succeeded by Jimmy Burke

Persondata
Name	Nichols, Kid
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 14, 1869
Place of birth	Madison, Wisconsin
Date of death	April 11, 1953
Place of death	Kansas City, Missouri