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Bill “Swish” Nicholson and the 1945 World Series Photo Gallery
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Another Edition of “Baseball’s Forgotten Stars!”
Let’s shine our baseball spotlight on Bill “Swish” Nicholson…and remember the unusual “gift” he received in 1944…
Swish Nicholson was a fine ballplayer from the 1930s and ‘40s who has been largely overlooked over the passage of time. In a game played 77 years ago this
month, Nicholson was at the receiving end of a highly unusual baseball “gift.” In fact, it’s been given out only six times in all of baseball history. Read on to find out what it was…
Swish Nicholson’s Career
A native of Chestertown, Maryland, Bill played 16 years in the majors (1936-1953) for the Athletics (1936), Cubs (1939-1948), and Phillies (1949-1953). Over his career, Swish hit .268, with 235 home runs, 948 RBIs, .365 on-base percentage, and .454 slugging. His career OPS+ of 132 places him well above his major league contemporaries (100 being the major league average).
Since we never saw him play, we can use the Baseball-Reference “Similarity Scores” feature to compare him with more modern players such as Jayson Werth, Ben Oglivie, Kirk Gibson, and J.D. Drew.
His best season came in 1943, when he hit .309 with a league-leading 29 home runs and 128 RBIs, finishing third in MVP voting. In 1944, he again led the league in home runs (33) and RBIs (122), and also in runs (116), losing the MVP award that year by one vote.
(In the featured photo, we see Swish Nicholson with teammate Jimmie Foxx, who was a Cub towards the end of his career in the 1940s).
Although Nicholson helped the Cubs to the 1945 pennant, vision problems resulted in a drop in his offensive output, hitting only .243 with 13 home runs and 88 RBI. He batted just .214 with eight RBIs for the Cubs in the 1945 World Series.
At six feet, 205 pounds, Nicholson presented an imposing figure, earning the nickname “Swish” because of the powerful cut he took. While standing in the left-handed batters’ box, he took exaggerated practice swings, ending each one with his bat aimed at the pitcher. He held the pose for several seconds, while the fans chanted “Swish.” In spite of his nickname and his reputation for frequently striking out, the most he ever fanned in one year was 91 in 1941, low by today’s standards.
Regarded as one of the toughest players in the league to double up, especially for a power hitter, Nicholson hit into twin-killings only once every 90.7 at-bats. He also became a respected pinch-hitter in his later years, and finished his career with eight pinch home runs.
Swish Nicholson’s Unusual “Gift”!
So what was the unusual “gift” Nicholson received that’s been given out only six times in baseball history?
On July 23, 1944, the Cubs and Giants met in a double-header at the Polo Grounds. Over the course of the twin bill, Swish had hit four consecutive home runs, with three coming in the second game. In the eighth inning of the nightcap, with the Giants ahead 10-7, Nicholson again came to the plate, this time with the bases loaded. Giants’ manager Mel Ott had seen enough. Deciding that “discretion is indeed the better part of valor,” or something like that, he ordered his pitcher, Ewald Pyle, to walk Nicholson intentionally, even though that forced in a run and put the tying run in scoring position!
Unfortunately for Ott and the Giants, the play backfired. The Cubs scored two more in the inning and tied the game at 10-apiece. But the Giants redeemed their manager with two in the bottom of the frame and eventually won, 12-10.
It’s Happened Only Six Times!
Bill “Swish” Nicholson is one of only six players to receive the “gift” of an intentional pass with the bases loaded. I would have to say that makes it one of the rarest occurrences in all of baseball. The others are Abner Dalrymple (1881), Nap Lajoie (1901), Del Bissonette (1928), Barry Bonds (1998), and Josh Hamilton (2008).
I’m always glad to shine our baseball stoplight on a fine ballplayer who’s been largely forgotten over the passage of time. So today we salute Bill “Swish” Nicholson!
Gary Livacari
Information: Excerpts edited from Bill Nicholson Wikipedia page
Fun story Gary and I had heard of Bill ‘Swish’ Nicholson but not the back story. I am thinking that ‘Swish’ would not be a good nickname for a baseball player today as it could signify being someone who strikes out even more than average (which is still a LOT!). ‘Swish’ would be a much better basketball nickname IMO!
Haha! That’s for sure!
And for other reasons, Mark and Gary, today “Swish” would not be a good idea under any circumstances.
But you’re right, Mark, about 70 years ago when Olympian and great play-by-play sportscaster, Marty Glickman, first used the term to describe a basketball shot that didn’t hit the rim–it sounded pretty good!
I first saw Nicholson at the Polo Grounds in 1947, and took in the the whole routine. Great memory. He was powerfully constructed and dangerous in big spots late in the game. As a kid, I thought he was a low average hitter who struck out a lot, who could hit home runs. Thanks for the enlightening OPS + stat!
Never heard of two of the “gift” recipients–terrific tidbit, DD. Would have thought Babe Ruth might have been a recipient sometime along the way.
Thanks! TOB
Hello…my name is Larry Nicholson…Bill was my grandfather’s brother…I used to talk to him alot about his playing days when he would stop in at our trucking company’s office a couple times a week before he died…
He was a very humble man and was truly embarrassed that his hometown would erect a statue of him…he talked often of Jimmie Foxx, another Eastern Shore of Maryland farm boy that grew up only 10 miles from us…I always look back and am amazed that he didn’t win the MVP in 1944 when he lost the voting by 1 point to Marty Marion….look up their stats for that year and tell me what you think….thank you so much for remembering my Uncle Bill in your article…he was really a hero to me…I wish that Nicholson talent would have been passed down to me!
Regards, my friend…Larry Nicholson
ps…just so you know, Uncle Bills wife died in a plane crash in Easton MD back in the early 70’s’s with her friend, Louisa Carpenter who was the daughter of the owner of the Phillies….Uncle Bill gave me a set of 3 records of 78 rpm’s that the Phillies gave him of the radio broadcast of the World Series he was in with them…he always said that Richie Ashburn was his best friend and roomed with him alot…I also have a couple gloves and other momento’s of his…I’m 64 now so they’ll be passed along to my son…
Almost forgot…he also was the roommate with Eddie Waitkus the day he got shot in Chicago by that young lady that was infatuated with him…Uncle Bill said she came to their room, and Eddie was down the hall in another players room at the time so he sent her there…he thought she was a relative of Eddie’s ….Uncle Bill seemed to have a pretty exciting life!!!