Dave Nicholson
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1960-1967)
Dave Nicholson was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1967 for 4 teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, a span of 8 seasons. In 538 career games, he hit .212 with 301 hits, 61 home runs, and 179 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 948.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 215 lb
- Died
- 2/25/2023 in Carmi, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1960-05-24
- Last Game
- 1967-10-01
Full name: David Lawrence Nicholson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 538 | 1,419 | 184 | 301 | 32 | 12 | 61 | 179 | 6 | 219 | 573 | .212 | .318 | .381 | .699 | 948 |
Career AVG .212 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 14.9% below league average.
Career OBP .318 vs. league average .314 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .381 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .699 vs. league average .690 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | BAL | AL | 54 | 113 | 17 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 20 | 55 | .186 | .255 (-27%) | .323 (-5%) | .387 (-11%) | .711 (-8%) | -111.8 |
| 1962 | BAL | AL | 97 | 173 | 25 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 15 | 3 | 27 | 76 | .173 | .257 (-33%) | .326 (-12%) | .393 (-7%) | .719 (-9%) | -239.4 |
| 1963 | CHA | AL | 126 | 449 | 53 | 103 | 11 | 4 | 22 | 70 | 2 | 63 | 175 | .229 | .246 (-7%) | .308 (+3%) | .371 (+13%) | .680 (+8%) | 710.9 |
| 1964 | CHA | AL | 97 | 294 | 40 | 60 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 39 | 0 | 52 | 126 | .204 | .250 (-19%) | .312 (+5%) | .377 (-4%) | .690 (avg) | 184.5 |
| 1965 | CHA | AL | 54 | 85 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 40 | .153 | .245 (-38%) | .310 (-25%) | .371 (-27%) | .682 (-26%) | -339.6 |
| 1966 | HOU | NL | 100 | 280 | 36 | 69 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 31 | 1 | 46 | 92 | .246 | .248 (-1%) | .309 (+15%) | .376 (+9%) | .685 (+12%) | 743.2 |
| 1967 | ATL | NL | 10 | 25 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 538 | 1,419 | 184 | 301 | 32 | 12 | 61 | 179 | 6 | 219 | 573 | .212 | — | — | — | — | 948 | ||
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 (539 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 271 | 666 | 90 | 144 | 33 | 91 | .216 |
| Away | 268 | 753 | 94 | 157 | 28 | 88 | .208 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-10-01 | ATL | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1967-09-30 | ATL | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1967-09-29 | ATL | STL | L | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967-09-28 | ATL | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1967-09-28 | ATL | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1967-09-26 | ATL | CIN | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1967-09-22 | ATL | STL | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1967-09-21 | ATL | STL | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1967-09-07 | ATL | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1967-09-05 | ATL | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 328 |
| Center Field | 28 |
| Right Field | 121 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Dave Nicholson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Dave Nicholson: the record in brief
Dave Nicholson played a first major league game on May 24, 1960 and a last one on October 1, 1967. The team column moves through the Baltimore Orioles (1960 to 1962), the Chicago White Sox (1963 through 1965), the Houston Astros (1966), and the Atlanta Braves (1967). Nicholson is listed as an outfielder at 6'2" and 215 pounds. The bio says Nicholson batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is August 29, 1939, in St. Louis, MO, USA. The bio records the death on February 25, 2023, in Carmi, IL, USA. Nicholson's full given name, per the bio, is David Lawrence Nicholson.
Nicholson finished with 301 hits from 1,419 at bats in 538 games, which works out to .212, plus 61 homers and 179 RBI. Nicholson got on base at a .318 rate and slugged .381 (.699 OPS). Measured against the leagues Nicholson played in, the .212 career average compares with a .249 league average over the same seasons, 14.9% below the league. 1963 was Nicholson's biggest home run year, with 22.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dave Nicholson
- What years did Dave Nicholson play?
- Dave Nicholson played in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1967.
- Was Dave Nicholson a pitcher?
- No. Dave Nicholson was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Dave Nicholson hit?
- Dave Nicholson hit 61 career home runs with 301 hits.
- What teams did Dave Nicholson play for?
- Dave Nicholson played for 4 teams: the Baltimore Orioles (1960, 1962), the Chicago White Sox (1963–1965), the Houston Astros (1966), and the Atlanta Braves (1967).
- What were Dave Nicholson's career stats?
- In 538 games, Dave Nicholson had 301 hits, 61 home runs, 179 RBI, 184 runs, and 6 stolen bases, with a .212 batting average.
- What position did Dave Nicholson play?
- Dave Nicholson played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Dave Nicholson and how much did he weigh?
- Dave Nicholson was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 215 pounds.
- How many home runs did Dave Nicholson hit each season?
- Dave Nicholson's home runs by season: 5 in 1960, 9 in 1962, 22 in 1963, 13 in 1964, 2 in 1965, 10 in 1966, and 0 in 1967. His most in one season was 22, in 1963.
- What was Dave Nicholson's career batting average?
- Dave Nicholson batted .212 over his career, with 301 hits in 1,419 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dave Nicholson have?
- Dave Nicholson drove in 179 runs in his career.
- Is Dave Nicholson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dave Nicholson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.