Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Your 1981 Red Sox Pt. 17: Reid Nichols

In this series, I will look at each player who played in 1981, the year I was born. Because, why not?
Reid Nichols was a 12th round draft pick by the Red Sox in 1976.  Somewhat surprisingly he moved quickly through the minor league system, despite not being much of a prospect.  But after a terrific 1979 season in A-ball, he bypassed Double-A and played for Pawtucket in 1980 and eventually made his Major League debut.  

In 1981, Nichols was with the big league team for the entire season, though he spent most of it riding the bench.  He played in 39 games, but logged just 58 plate appearances.  Most of his time was spent in center field, which was his primary position throughout his career.  Nichols also appeared at designated hitter, third base, left and right field.  During his career he would appear at every position except first base, pitcher and catcher.  Nichols did not make an error at any position in 1981.

Nichols did not do much with the bat in 1981, hitting just .188/.216/.229.  His only base hit was a triple and he drove in three runs.  It was not an impressive year.  However, Nichols would prove to be a quality option off the bench for Boston the next two seasons.  In 1982, he hit .302/.341/.461 with seven home runs in 92 games.  His numbers dipped a bit in 1983, but was still a strong .285/.352/.438.  Unfortunately, that was about it for him as a decent player with the Red Sox.  In 1985, he was dealt to the White Sox for reliever Tim Lollar.  He later also played with the Expos.

For his career, Nichols hit .266/.326/.361 with 22 home runs, 131 RBIs and 27 stolen bases.  

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