Coach has strong ties to ABQ
Iowa’s Nichols played for Highland, UNM and Dukes
Rod Nichols probably holds some kind of record for baseball appearances for at Isotopes Park/Albuquerque Sports Stadium. He added to it this week. Nichols, who grew up in the Duke City, is back at his old stomping grounds as pitching coach for the Iowa Cubs, who beat the Albuquerque Isotopes 5-3 Monday night at Isotopes Park.
Prior to Saturday’s series opener, Nichols had not been in Albuquerque in 24 years. His last appearance in the city came in 1993 — when he played for the Dukes.
In between accumulated three World Series rings: One as a player for the 1995 Braves, the other two as a pitching coach for the Philadelphia Phillies (2008) and Chicago Cubs (2016) organizations.
“I’ve been very lucky,” Nichols said. “This is my 31st year in professional baseball and I never would’ve expected anything like that. And my career’s all about Albuquerque.”
It certainly started here for Nichols, who was born in Burlington, Iowa, but moved to Albuquerque as a 3-yearold in 1967. His unofficial record got started a few years later.
Rod Nichols appeared at the Albuquerque Sports Stadium as: a player in Thunderbird Little League, a batboy for the Dukes in 1978 and ’79, a player at Highland High School, a player for the University of New Mexico in 1984 and ’85 — and as a pitcher for the ’93 Dukes.
Nichols’ first impression when he walked onto the field at Isotopes’ Park?
“This is not the same ballpark,” he said. “It’s beautiful but where’s the lava? I miss the lava.”
The lava rocks that once lined the berm beyond the Sports Stadium’s outfield fence are long gone, but some of Nichols’ old Albuquerque haunts are still where he remembered them. Nichols made time to visit a few favorite restaurants and his old schools this week. UNM baseball coach Ray Birmingham gave him a tour of his program’s upgraded facilities Wednesday.
“It brings back a lot of great memories,” Nichols said.
Nichols. 52, met his wife, Sharon, in Albuquerque. Their family, which includes three adult children, has resided in Helena, Montana, since early in Nichols’ pro career.
The major league portion of that career included stints with the Cleveland Indians (1988-92), Los Angeles Dodgers (1993) and Atlanta Braves (1995). Nichols also played a season in Japan.
His personal highlight came with the Indians, a complete-game 2-1 victory at Oakland in which Nichols outdueled Bob Welch of the A’s. He particularly recalls a little effective groundskeeping.
“After five innings the mound dirt was still really smooth,” he said. “I wrote ‘Hi’ with my shoe and I guess Welch was superstitious about that kind of thing. He gave up a single and a homer the next inning for our two runs.”
When his playing career ended, Nichols was considering buying a brewery before former Dukes pitching coach Glenn “Goose” Gregson called to offer him a coaching job with the Phillies organiation. The gig lasted from 2002-15, the final three years as bench coach in Philadelphia where Nichols worked with such pitchers as Brett Myers, Ryan Madson, Johnathan Papelbon and Albuquerque’s Ken Giles.
The Phillies did not retain Nichols after the 2015 season, but he promptly accepted a job offer with the Chicago Cubs just in time for the organization’s first World Series title in 108 years. Nichols is in his second season with Triple-A Iowa.
“Good time to be with the Cubs,” Nichols said, “and I’m glad we got a chance to come here. I consider myself an Albuquerque native. It’s good to be back.”