Nicholson, "Bill" (William B.)
Baseball
b. Dec. 11, 1914, Chestertown, MD
d. March 8, 1996
Nicknamed "Swish" because of his mighty swing, which often missed the ball, Nicholson was twice the NL home run and RBI leader. He played briefly for the AL's Philadelphia Athletics in 1936, then spent two years in the minors before joining the Chicago Cubs in 1939.
A left-handed hitter and right-handed thrower, the 6-foot, 205-pound Nicholson became Chicago's starting left fielder in 1940. He had his finest season in 1943, batting .309 with a league-leading 29 home runs and 128 RBI. In 1944, his average slipped to .287, but he again led the league with 33 home runs and 122 RBI and was also the leader in runs scored with 116.
Nicholson hit four consecutive home runs in a doubleheader against the Giants that season. When he came to bat with the bases loaded in the seventh inning of the second game, he was intentionally walked. Obviously, that forced in a run, but the Cubs couldn't score again and the Giants won the game, 12-10.
The Cubs won the 1945 NL pennant, but Nicholson hit only .243 with 13 home runs that season. Though he batted just .214 in the World Series, he had 8 RBI in Chicago's seven-game loss to the Detroit Tigers.
In 1949, Nicholson was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he became a part-time player and frequent pinch-hitter. He retired after the 1953 season. In 1,677 games, Nicholson batted .268 with 1,484 hits, including 272 doubles, 60 triples, and 235 home runs. He scored 837 runs and drove in 948.