Connie Mack's College guys....and then there were 9

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

In the early 1900's Connie Mack enthusiastically recruited players with College backgrounds.
From 1901 - 1908 Connie Mack's A's roster included 9 College educated ballplayers .....

.................................................. ..A's tenure

Eddie Plank (Gettysburg College)......1901-14
Eddie Collins (Columbia)..................1906-14, 1927-30
Jack Coombs (Colby College)............1906-14
Jack Barry (Holy Cross)...................1908-14
Andy Coakley (Holy Cross)...............1902-06
Doc Powers (Holy Cross).................1901-1909
Louis Castro (Manhattan College)......1902
Chief Bender (Dickinson College).......1903-14

Simon Nicholls (Maryland Agricultural College....now the Univ of Maryland)....1906-09

This post focuses on Simon Nicholls whose life story is the "stuff" that used to inspire great true life Hollywood BB movies.
Connie Mack acquired Nicholls at the end of the 1906 season. Nicholls was an average hitter, but an excellent shortstop.
One of his best days with the A's was at the opening game of Shibe Park on April 12, 1909. He hit a double, two singles,
and a walk and scored four run to win the 1st game at the A's new Stadium....in front of an unprecedented 35,000 fans.

In December 1909 Nicholls was traded to Cleveland. He lived on his Maryland farm and was a very devoted family man,
so this trade upset him. April 1910, the Cleveland Press noted that "Si" Nicholls was a gentleman farmer like the great
Cy Young. Nicholls Major Lge. career ended after 3 games with Clev. That season he connected with Baltimore (Eastern
Lge.) Mgr. Jack Dunn, who was impressed with Nicholls' play and made him field captain in 1911. Unfortunately, Nicholls
contracted typhoid fever and died at the young age of 28 on Mar 12, 1911.

Nicholls T206 cards

Nicholls (fielding pose) is one of only four A's players depicted in the 1st Series (150 Subjects) of the T206 set.

His 2nd card (batting pose) was issued when the 350 Series was available in early Spring of 1910. Unlike the other 200+
Subjects in the 350 Series whose American Beauty 350 backs are FRAMED, Nicholls' AB 350 back is without Frame. This
"oddity" has mystified T206 collectors for some time. Offered here is a plausible explanation for this anomaly. My theory
is..the Nicholls card was initially designed as a 350/460 Series Subject. However, it was not extended into the 460 series
press runs, due to his Major League career ending in early 1910.

The 350/460 release occurred in the Summer of 1910. The 55 cards in this series with AB 350 backs are without a Frame.




TED Z


Edited to remove Harry Davis; and, to add Chief Bender, Andy Coakley and Louis Castro