Butch Nieman
Encyclopedia
Elmer Le Roy "Butch" Nieman (February 8, 1918 – November 2, 1993) was a Major League Baseball
outfielder
who played for the Boston Braves
from 1943 to 1945. He played collegiately at Kansas State University
from 1938-39. He was a native of Herkimer, Kansas.
Nieman is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major league
s during World War II
. He was a regular for Boston during much of his three years with the team. He finished in the league's TOP TEN for triples
in 1943, for home runs in 1944, and for at bats per home run in 1945.
Career totals include 332 games played
, 269 hits
, 37 home runs, 167 RBI, 147 runs
, a .256 batting average
, and a slugging percentage of .432. He was a slightly below average defensive outfielder for his era, and in his 317 appearances had a fielding percentage
of .961. One defensive highlight was 13 assists
in 1944.
Nieman died at the age of 75 in Topeka, Kansas
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who played for the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
from 1943 to 1945. He played collegiately at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
from 1938-39. He was a native of Herkimer, Kansas.
Nieman is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
s during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was a regular for Boston during much of his three years with the team. He finished in the league's TOP TEN for triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in 1943, for home runs in 1944, and for at bats per home run in 1945.
Career totals include 332 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, 269 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 37 home runs, 167 RBI, 147 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, a .256 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, and a slugging percentage of .432. He was a slightly below average defensive outfielder for his era, and in his 317 appearances had a fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
of .961. One defensive highlight was 13 assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
in 1944.
Nieman died at the age of 75 in Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
.