Bill Nicholson
Born: December 11, 1914
Died: March 8, 1996
Chicago Cubs (1939-1948)
I went to Fangraphs and retrieved the top WAR for Cubs outfielder in their
team history. Bill Nicholson accumulated 37.8 in 5614 plate appearances
with the Cubs. His 37.8 WAR is 3rd best in Cubs history (following the 2017
season). Sammy Sosa is first and Billy Williams is second. Now, that being
said, Nicholson played far fewer games and since WAR is a cumulative statistic, a better comparison is WRC+. This number compares the offensive value with players in their own era. Nicholson's 135 is just better than both Sosa & B Williams (134 for both). Prior to doing this research, I would have never thought that Nicholson can compare to these Cubs great outfielders, but the numbers suggest he is good enough to be mentioned in the same conversation, as one of the best outfielders in Cubs history.
Here is a look at the top ten cumulative WAR and WRC+ for Cubs outfielders:
Rank Name WAR WRC+
How did Bill Nicholson to other MLB outfielders of his time?
When I compared MLB OF's from 1939 to 1948 (Bill Nicholson's career
with the Cubs), Nicholson was 5th best behind very well known MLB
outfielders Ted Williams, Joe Dimaggio, Stan Musial & Charlie Keller.
Bill Nicholson's Season WAR & Cubs all-time Rank (OF):
His 205 career home runs as a Cubs hitter is 8th in team history
(at the end of the 2017 season).