Simon Nicholls
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1903-1910)
Simon Nicholls was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1910 for the Detroit Tigers, the Philadelphia Athletics, and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 8 seasons. In 312 career games, he hit .251 with 284 hits, 4 home runs, and 58 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 165 lb
- Died
- 3/12/1911 in Baltimore, MD, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1903-09-18
- Last Game
- 1910-04-25
Full name: Simon Burdette Nicholls
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 312 | 1,133 | 144 | 284 | 32 | 6 | 4 | 58 | 27 | 65 | 102 | .251 | .292 | .300 | .593 | -205 |
Career AVG .251 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .292 vs. league average .308 across their career seasons — 5.2% below league average.
Career SLG .300 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — 5.9% below league average.
Career OPS .593 vs. league average .627 across their career seasons — 5.5% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | DET | AL | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .375 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1906 | PHA | AL | 12 | 44 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1907 | PHA | AL | 124 | 460 | 75 | 139 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 13 | 24 | 38 | .302 | .245 (+23%) | .304 (+11%) | .308 (+9%) | .613 (+10%) | 776.4 |
| 1908 | PHA | AL | 150 | 550 | 58 | 119 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 31 | 14 | 35 | 47 | .216 | .240 (-10%) | .298 (-11%) | .306 (-9%) | .605 (-10%) | -790.6 |
| 1909 | PHA | AL | 21 | 71 | 10 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | .211 | .244 (-14%) | .306 (-21%) | .312 (-14%) | .618 (-17%) | -190.5 |
| 1910 | CLE | AL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 312 | 1,133 | 144 | 284 | 32 | 6 | 4 | 58 | 27 | 65 | 102 | .251 | — | — | — | — | -205 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (313 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 151 | 539 | 81 | 151 | 0 | 41 | .280 |
| Away | 162 | 594 | 63 | 133 | 4 | 24 | .224 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910-04-25 | CLE | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-04-23 | CLE | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-04-22 | CLE | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-10-02 | PHA | MIN | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-08-26 | PHA | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1909-08-16 | PHA | MIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-07-25 | PHA | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1909-07-24 | PHA | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1909-07-23 | PHA | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1909-07-22 | PHA | CHW | L | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2B | 51 | 51 | 92 | 127 | 16 | 9 |
| 3B | 25 | 25 | 24 | 33 | 8 | 4 |
| SS | 233 | 217 | 448 | 696 | 103 | 45 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | DET | SS | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 1906 | PHA | SS | 12 | 12 | 22 | 33 | 2 | 4 |
| 1907 | PHA | 2B | 28 | 27 | 41 | 69 | 10 | 3 |
| 1907 | PHA | 3B | 13 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| 1907 | PHA | SS | 82 | 74 | 178 | 258 | 33 | 12 |
| 1908 | PHA | 2B | 23 | 24 | 51 | 58 | 6 | 6 |
| 1908 | PHA | 3B | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 1908 | PHA | SS | 120 | 119 | 221 | 370 | 56 | 26 |
| 1909 | PHA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1909 | PHA | 3B | 5 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| 1909 | PHA | SS | 14 | 12 | 24 | 32 | 7 | 3 |
| 1910 | CLE | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 2 |
| Second Base | 52 |
| Third Base | 27 |
| Shortstop | 227 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland | College Park | MD | 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Simon Nicholls (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Simon Nicholls: the record in brief
September 18, 1903 and April 25, 1910 bracket Simon Nicholls's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the Detroit Tigers (1903), the Philadelphia Athletics (1906 to 1909), and the Cleveland Naps (1910). Nicholls is listed as a shortstop at 5'11" and 165 pounds. Nicholls batted left-handed and threw right-handed, per the bio block. Nicholls was born on July 18, 1882, in Germantown, MD, USA. Nicholls died on March 12, 1911, in Baltimore, MD, USA. Nicholls's full given name, per the bio, is Simon Burdette Nicholls.
Nicholls's career batting table shows 312 games, 1,133 at bats and 284 hits, a .251 average, along with 4 homers, 58 RBI, and 27 stolen bases. Nicholls's career OPS of .593 combines a .292 on-base mark with .300 slugging. The .251 career average is close to the .248 the league hit across the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .593 to a league .627, 5.5% below average. Nicholls collected a career-high 139 hits in 1907.
Frequently Asked Questions about Simon Nicholls
- What years did Simon Nicholls play?
- Simon Nicholls played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1910.
- Was Simon Nicholls a pitcher?
- No. Simon Nicholls was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Simon Nicholls hit?
- Simon Nicholls hit 4 career home runs with 284 hits.
- What teams did Simon Nicholls play for?
- Simon Nicholls played for 3 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1903), the Philadelphia Athletics (1906–1909), and the Cleveland Naps (1910).
- What were Simon Nicholls's career stats?
- In 312 games, Simon Nicholls had 284 hits, 4 home runs, 58 RBI, 144 runs, and 27 stolen bases, with a .251 batting average.
- What position did Simon Nicholls play?
- Simon Nicholls played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Simon Nicholls and how much did he weigh?
- Simon Nicholls was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Simon Nicholls hit each season?
- Simon Nicholls's home runs by season: 0 in 1903, 0 in 1906, 0 in 1907, 4 in 1908, and 0 in 1909. His most in one season was 4, in 1908.
- What was Simon Nicholls's career batting average?
- Simon Nicholls batted .251 over his career, with 284 hits in 1,133 at bats.
- How many RBI did Simon Nicholls have?
- Simon Nicholls drove in 58 runs in his career.
- Is Simon Nicholls in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Simon Nicholls has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.