Rod Nichols

{{Short description|American baseball player (1964–2025)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Rod Nichols

| image =

| position = Pitcher

| birth_date = {{birth date|1964|12|29}}

| birth_place = Burlington, Iowa, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|5|14|1964|12|29}}

| death_place =

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

| debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = July 30

| debutyear = 1988

| debutteam = Cleveland Indians

| finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = August 29

| finalyear = 1995

| finalteam = Atlanta Braves

| debut2league = NPB

| debut2date = August 6

| debut2year = 1997

| debut2team = Fukuoka Daiei Hawks

| final2league = NPB

| final2date = August 10

| final2year = 1997

| final2team = Fukuoka Daiei Hawks

| statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Win–loss record

| stat1value = 11–31

| stat2label = Earned run average

| stat2value = 4.43

| stat3label = Strikeouts

| stat3value = 214

| stat2league = NPB

| stat21label = Win–loss record

| stat21value = 0–0

| stat22label = Earned run average

| stat22value = 3.00

| stat23label = Strikeouts

| stat23value = 0

| teams = *Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1988}}–{{mlby|1992}})

• Los Angeles Dodgers ({{mlby|1993}})
• Atlanta Braves ({{mlby|1995}})
• Fukuoka Daiei Hawks ({{npby|1997}})

}}

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.1990 Topps baseball card # 108 He also played one season in Japan for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in 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.{{cite web| url = http://m.phillies.mlb.com/news/article/153257064| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151007080513/http://m.phillies.mlb.com/news/article/153257064| url-status = dead| archive-date = October 7, 2015| title = Phillies make changes to coaching staff}} Nichols returned to the minors in 2016 to serve as the pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs Triple-A Iowa affiliate.{{Cite web |title=I-Cubs Announce 2019 Field Staff |url=https://www.milb.com/news/i-cubs-announce-2019-field-staff-302512490 |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=MiLB.com |language=en}} He retired after the 2019 season.

Nichols was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |title=New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame {{!}} Rod Nichols |url=https://nmshof.org/rod-nichols/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |language=en-US}}

Nichols died on May 14, 2025, at the age of 60.{{Cite web |title=Rodney L. Nichols, age 60 of Helena |url=https://helenafuneralhome.com/obituaries/rodney-l-nichols-age-60-of-helena/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=helenafuneralhome.com}}