 Nicol was born on October 17 , 1870 in Barry , Illinois . His father , Matthew Nicol , immigrated to the United States from Scotland in 1852 , while his mother , Eliza , was born in America . As a youngster , he played baseball for a semi @-@ professional club in nearby Mount Sterling . There , he rose to fame as a left @-@ handed pitcher — probably due to rarity and <unk> of southpaws — and eventually got the opportunity to play in the major leagues before he turned twenty . 
