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| Chet Nichols Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1931-02-22)February 22, 1931 Pawtucket, Rhode Island, U.S. | |
| Died: March 27, 1995(1995-03-27) (aged 64) Lincoln, Rhode Island, U.S. | |
Batted: Switch Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 19, 1951, for the Boston Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| April 24, 1964, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 34–36 |
| Earned run average | 3.64 |
| Strikeouts | 266 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Chester Raymond Nichols Jr. (February 22, 1931 – March 27, 1995) was an American professionalbaseball player. A 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) tall, 165 lb (75 kg)left-hander, he was apitcher over all or parts of nine seasons (1951,1954–1956,1960–1964) with theBoston andMilwaukee Braves,Boston Red Sox andCincinnati Reds. In 1951, he was theNational Leagueearned run average (ERA) champion as a 20-year-oldrookie, and was the runner-up toWillie Mays for the league'sRookie of the Year Award. He was the son of former major league pitcherChet Nichols Sr., a right-hander who appeared in 44games for three National League clubs between 1926 and 1932.
Nichols Jr. was born inPawtucket, Rhode Island, where he attended East High School. After spending the 1949 and 1950 seasons in the Braves'farm system, he made Boston's1951 roster out ofspring training. He pitched exclusively inrelief through May 23, posting a 3.00 ERA. In his firststarting assignment, June 3 atBraves Field against the Cincinnati Reds, he held a 2–1 lead into theeighth inning when Cincinnati rallied for threeruns;[1] Nichols was saddled with the 4–2 defeat, but he threw acomplete game and earned a place in Boston's starting rotation. Six days later, Nichols threw another complete game, this time a six-hit, 6–1 triumph over theSt. Louis Cardinals.[2] Nichols went on to work in 33 games, 19 as a starter, and compiled an 11–8won–lost record. His 2.88 earned run average in 156innings pitched was five-one-hundredths of a point better thanSal Maglie's 2.93, giving Nichols the National League's ERA title. He threw 12 total complete games, posted threeshutouts, and earned twosaves out of the bullpen.
Nichols then missed the 1952 and 1953 seasons while serving in theUnited States Army during theKorean War. He returned to the Braves, now based inMilwaukee, in1954, but his performance declined. His ERA swelled to 4.41 and he issued 65bases on balls to only 55strikeouts in 1221⁄3 innings pitched. The following season,1955, he lowered his ERA to 4.00, but still struggled with wildness, walking 67 men and striking out only 44 in 144 innings of work. After two lackluster performances in early1956, Nichols was demoted to theminor leagues.
The Braves released him after the 1957 season, and Nichols spent all of 1958 out of the game working as a bank teller in his native Rhode Island,[3] before getting a successful tryout with theAmerican League Red Sox, Boston's surviving MLB team, who signed him to a minor-league contract for 1959. Two strong seasons at theTriple-A level resulted in Nichols' promotion to the Red Sox in September1960. He spent the full seasons of1961 through1963 with the Red Sox, largely as a left-handed relief specialist. In 1961, he put up a stellar 2.09 earned run average in 512⁄3 innings, with three saves.
Boston released him after the 1963 season, and Nichols caught on with the Reds for 1964, but he was released after three early-season relief appearances, ending his MLB career.
In the major leagues, Nichols compiled a 34–36 record in 189 appearances, 71 of them starts, with a 3.64 ERA. In 6031⁄3 innings pitched, he allowed 600 hits and 280 bases on balls, with 266strikeouts. He threw 23 complete games and four shutouts, and earned ten saves out of the bullpen. He returned to the banking field after his playing days, rising into management positions, and in 1977 he played an integral role in helping Rhode Island businessmanBen Mondor purchase the strugglingPawtucket Red Sox of theInternational League;[3] during his 33-year stewardship, Mondor turned the "PawSox" into a highly successful Triple-A franchise.
Nichols died of cancer at hisLincoln, Rhode Island, home at the age of 64.[4]
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