Chet Nichols, baseball player, 1951-1964

Chet Nichols

Born: 2/22/1931 in Pawtucket, RI, USA

Died: 3/27/1995 in Lincoln, RI, USA

MLB Debut: 1951-04-19 | Final Game: 1964-04-24

Bats: B | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Chester Raymond Nichols

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Chet Nichols, born in 1931, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1951 to 1964. Known for his versatility on the mound, Nichols made a significant impact during his time in Major League Baseball. He finished his career with a record of 34-36 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.64, showcasing his ability to keep opponents at bay while also contributing to his team's efforts. Over his tenure, he recorded 266 strikeouts and notched 10 saves, demonstrating his effectiveness as both a starter and a reliever. Nichols played during a transformative era in baseball, marked by the evolution of pitching strategies and the increasing importance of bullpen roles. His style combined finesse with a strategic approach to each batter, a hallmark of the era's pitchers. Though not among the most prominent stars of his time, Chet Nichols carved out a respectable niche in the game, earning the respect of teammates and opponents alike, and leaving a lasting legacy as a reliable pitcher in the world of baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
34 36 189 71 23 4 10 603.3 600 244 45 280 266 3.64 0

Career ERA 3.64 vs. league average 3.84 across their career seasons — 5.3% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1951 BSN NL 11 8 33 19 12 3 2 156.0 142 50 69 71 2.88 4.04 (+29%) 3190.5
1954 ATL NL 9 11 35 20 5 1 1 122.3 132 60 65 55 4.41 3.90 (-13%) -
1955 ATL NL 9 8 34 21 6 0 1 144.0 139 64 67 44 4.00 4.00 (avg) -
1956 ATL NL 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 4.0 9 3 3 2 6.75 — -
1960 BOS AL 0 2 6 1 0 0 0 12.7 12 6 4 11 4.26 3.82 (-12%) 660.4
1961 BOS AL 3 2 26 2 0 0 3 51.7 40 12 26 20 2.09 4.03 (+48%) -49.5
1962 BOS AL 1 1 29 1 0 0 3 57.0 61 19 22 33 3.00 3.96 (+24%) 942.7
1963 BOS AL 1 3 21 7 0 0 0 52.7 61 28 24 27 4.78 3.46 (-38%) -1778.8
1964 CIN NL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3.0 4 2 0 3 6.00 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
189 173 8 22 1 0 0 5 0 3 50 0.127 0.142 0.133 0.275 -1028.2

Career AVG .127 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — 50.3% below league average.

Career OBP .142 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 56.3% below league average.

Career SLG .133 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 65.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.275 vs. league average 0.713 across their career seasons — 61.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1951 BSN NL 33 51 2 7 0 0 0 1 0 0 18 0.137 .260 (-47%) .336 (-59%) .385 (-64%) .721 (-62%) -538.3
1954 ATL NL 35 35 1 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 12 0.086 — — — — 0.0
1955 ATL NL 34 52 2 8 1 0 0 1 0 0 12 0.154 .258 (-40%) .332 (-54%) .393 (-56%) .726 (-55%) -489.9
1956 ATL NL 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1960 BOS AL 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1961 BOS AL 26 9 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1962 BOS AL 29 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1963 BOS AL 21 13 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0.231 — — — — 0.0
1964 CIN NL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 189 52 24 150 3 12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1951 BSN P 33 0 6 36 0 2
1954 ML1 P 35 20 3 27 0 3
1955 ML1 P 34 21 6 35 2 3
1956 ML1 P 2 0 0 2 0 0
1960 BOS P 6 1 0 4 0 0
1961 BOS P 26 2 3 23 0 1
1962 BOS P 29 1 4 15 0 2
1963 BOS P 21 7 2 8 1 1
1964 CIN P 3 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 189

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1951 Rookie of the Year NL 2nd 4.0 24 4