Fred Nyce

Born: June 30, 1865
Died:
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Fred Nyce started his baseball career in his hometown of Port Jervis, NY. The Middletown Daily Argus reported that "Nyce and Goodfellow, of that Village, have closed a contract to play with Newburgh base ball club this summer" (April 14, 1885). Goodfellow was Mike Goodfellow, who would go on to catch one game for the St. Louis Browns in 1887. The pair signed to play with Reading for the 1887 season, but in March of 1887, the Daily Argus reported that "Fred Nyce, who last year played with the Newburghs, has signed with the Boston League nine. He had been engaged by the Readings, but was released on the request of Kelly" (March 14, 1887). There is no indication of whether Nyce appeared in any spring games with Boston. He played for Reading until that club disbanded in July. He then moved on to Columbus (as did Goodfellow) and finished the season with Mahanoy City. Chris Von der Ahe signed Nyce and Pete Somers on December 10, 1887, along with catcher Jack Boyce, while on a trip to the east coast to attend Association meetings. (Von der Ahe also traded several players from the core of the 1887 Browns during this trip in a series of deals that effectively dismantled his three-peat championship club.)

Nyce and Harry Staley split the pitching duties in the first several spring training games for the Whites against the St. Louis Browns. On the club's spring training road trip, Nyce pitched in a three-man rotation with Staley and Pete Somers until the final game of the trip, when he played in the outfield. He played center field on May 1 in the second game of the season, and then moved to the mound for his first start of the season on May 8. His next start was just two days later, on May 10, likely in place of Ed Sproat. The St. Louis Republican reported "Nyce, who is still suffering from a sore arm, was put in to pitch for the Whites, and his delivery was wild and erratic." After this start, Nyce and Staley were the only starters for the remainder of the season (save three games, two in late May and early June and then the final game of the season). His record for the season was 3-10, with an ERA of 4.00; he allowed 138 hits and 100 runs (47 earned) in 105.2 innings.

After the Whites disbanded, Nyce headed back east, where he signed on with Hamilton of the International Association. He played with Burlington of the Central Interstate League in 1889, and then Dallas in the Texas League in 1890. With Dallas he is credited with a 1-6 record, but an ERA of 1.69 in 8 games (52 innings). By June of 1890 he was back in Port Jervis pitching for the local club. There is no other record for Fred Nyce in professional baseball after 1890.

Fred Nyce died in Port Jervis on January 27, 1913 at age 45 after a prolonged illness. At the time of his death, it was reported that he played on teams "in Newburgh, Reading, and the famous St. Louis Red Stockings, who won the American Association pennant in 1886" (Middletown Orange County Times, February 4, 1913). He was married with one son.



Stats with the St. Louis Whites

Batting stats
Year Team Pos Age G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1888 STW 23 17 64 8 15 2 0 1 1 0.234 0.313 Pitching stats
Year Team Pos Age W L ERA G GS CG SH S IP R H HR BB K ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1888 STW P 23 3 10 4.00 13 13 12 1 105.2 100 138 35 43

Spring stats for the Whites

Batting stats
  Date       Opponent      Pos.   AB    R   BH   2B   3B   HR	SB   BB    K
3/25/1888    Browns          p     3    0    1                   0         1
3/27/1888    Browns          p     3    0    0                   0          
3/28/1888    Browns          p     3    0    1                   0         1
3/29/1888    Browns          p     3    1    2                   0         1
 4/7/1888    Browns          p     4    1    1                   0
4/17/1888    Bloomington     p     3    0    0
4/20/1888    Peoria          p     3    2    1
4/23/1888    Rockford        p     3    1    1
4/26/1888    Dubuque        rf     2    0    0
Totals (9 G)                      27    5    7    0    0    0    0    0    3
1 HBP; 2 putouts, 51 assists and 14 errors
(Note walks allowed were counted as errors for the pitcher)

Pitching stats
  Date       Opponent      Pos.   IP    R   ER    H   BB    K  HBP   WP	
3/25/1888    Browns          p     4    5    5    6    0    1    1    2
3/27/1888    Browns          p     4    0    0    5    1    3    0    0
3/28/1888    Browns          p     4    2    2    5    1    1    0    0
3/29/1888    Browns          p     4    4    1    5    1    1    1    2
 4/7/1888    Browns          p     8   12    6   11    5    1    1    0		
4/17/1888    Bloomington     p     7    1    1    5    0    6    0    0
4/20/1888    Peoria          p     9    4    2    8    1    2    0    0
4/23/1888    Rockford        p     9    2    1    4    0    0    2    0
Totals (8 G)                      49   30   18   49    9   15    5    4