Kid Nichols

Charles Augustus "Kid" Nichols (September 14, 1869 – April 11, 1953) was a Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the Boston Beaneaters, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies from 1890 to 1906. A switch hitter who threw right-handed, he was listed at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and 175 pounds (79 kg). He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Nichols played minor league baseball for three teams until September 1889, when he signed for the Boston Beaneaters. After making his debut the following season and spending twelve seasons with the Beaneaters, Nichols spent a two-year sojourn in the minor leagues. He was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1904 and subsequently played for the Philadelphia Phillies, with whom he played his final game on May 18, 1906. He is most famous for being the youngest pitcher to join the 300 win club.

Biography

Early life

Nichols was born on September 14, 1869 in Madison, Wisconsin. His parents were Robert and Christina Nichols. His father had worked as a butcher and owned a grocery store with several locations in Madison. Robert had at least four children from a prior marriage to a woman named Sarah, who died of tuberculosis in 1859. Robert and Christina had several children together. Nichols's four-year-old sister Fannie died several years before Nichols was born; she accidentally set herself on fire while playing with matches.