Swish Nicholson

by Greenberg, Robert A.

• ISBN13: 9780786432745
• ISBN10: 0786432748
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-11-15
• Publisher: McFarland Publishing

Summary

This is the first biography of Bill "Swish" Nicholson, a Cubs favorite and baseball's top slugger during the World War II era. Only days out of college in 1936, Nicholson went straight to the majors, putting in a brief appearance for Connie Mack's Philadelphia A's before he was optioned to the minors. His contract eventually purchased by the Cubs, Nicholson spent 10 years on the North Side of Chicago, where he would claim National League home run and RBI titles twice, earn spots on five National League All-Star teams, and play a pivotal role on the pennant-winning club of 1945. After Nicholson was traded to the Phillies, amid the dissenting cries of Cubs fans, he helped the 1950 Whiz Kids to the National League title with two dramatic pinch-hit home runs. This balanced, carefully researched biography covers Nicholson's life early and late, thoroughly describes his legendary feats of slugging, and gauges his accomplishments in light of the era in which played.

Author Biography

Robert A. Greenberg is a 1974 graduate of Washington College, Nicholson's alma mater, and a member of SABR. A Circuit Court judge in Montgomery County, Maryland, he is married and has three children.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. V
Introduction	p. 1
On Fancy Farm	p. 5
Three Sport Man	p. 17
Return from Annapolis	p. 35
Mr. Mack and the A's	p. 44
Life in the Bushes	p. 55
Back to the Big Leagues	p. 72
Catalina to Chicago	p. 78
The Last Prewar Season	p. 92
Baseball, As Usual	p. 102
Coming Into His Own	p. 115
"Swish" and His Fans	p. 124
The Supreme Compliment	p. 132
The Year of the Billy Goat Curse	p. 145
Benched	p. 162
The Cubs in Decline	p. 172
Farewell to the Windy City	p. 181
The City of Brotherly Love	p. 189
The Whiz Kids	p. 200
The Giants Win the Pennant	p. 208
Shakeup on the Phillies	p. 213
Is There Life After Baseball?	p. 218
Epilogue	p. 233
Bill Nicholson's Regular Season Career Statistics and World Series Record	p. 237
Chapter Notes	p. 239
Bibliography	p. 251
Index	p. 255
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