Rod Nichols

Rodney Lea Nichols (December 29, 1964 – May 14, 2025) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1988 to 1995 with the Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta Braves. Nichols was a three-year letterman at University of New Mexico.^[1] He also played one season in Japan for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in 1997.

Rod Nichols
Pitcher
Born: (1964-12-29)December 29, 1964 Burlington, Iowa, U.S.
Died: May 14, 2025(2025-05-14) (aged 60)
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
MLB: July 30, 1988, for the Cleveland Indians
NPB: August 6, 1997, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
Last appearance
MLB: August 29, 1995, for the Atlanta Braves
NPB: August 10, 1997, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	11–31
Earned run average	4.43
Strikeouts	214
NPB statistics
Win–loss record	0–0
Earned run average	3.00
Strikeouts	0
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Cleveland Indians (1988–1992) Los Angeles Dodgers (1993) Atlanta Braves (1995) Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (1997)

After retiring from playing, Nichols worked as a minor league pitching coach for the Reading Phillies (2002–2004), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (2005–2006), Ottawa Lynx (2007), and Lehigh Valley IronPigs (2008–12). In 2013, he was named the bullpen coach for the Philadelphia Phillies.^[2] Nichols returned to the minors in 2016 to serve as the pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs Triple-A Iowa affiliate.^[3] He retired after the 2019 season.

Nichols was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.^[4]

Nichols died on May 14, 2025.^[5]