View source for Cotton Nash

{{short description|American basketball and baseball player (1942–2023)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name            = Cotton Nash
| image           = Cotton Nash Kentucky.jpg
| width           = 
| caption         = Nash with the [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|Kentucky Wildcats basketball]] team
| module          = 
{{Infobox basketball biography|embed=yes
| height_ft       = 6
| height_in       = 5
| weight_lb       = 215
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1942|7|24}}
| birth_place     = [[Jersey City, New Jersey]], U.S.
| death_date      = {{death date and age|2023|5|23|1942|7|24}}
| death_place     = [[Lexington, Kentucky]], U.S.
| high_school     = Lake Charles<br />([[Lake Charles, Louisiana]])
| college         = [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|Kentucky]] (1961–1964)
| draft_year      = 1964
| draft_round     = 2
| draft_pick      = 12
| draft_team      = [[Los Angeles Lakers]]
| career_start    = 1964
| career_end      = 1968
| career_number   = 33, 17, 44
| career_position = [[Small forward]]
| years1          = {{nbay|1964|full=y}}
| team1           = [[Los Angeles Lakers]]
| years2          = {{nbay|1964|end}}
| team2           = [[San Francisco Warriors]]
| years3          = [[1967–68 ABA season|1967–1968]]
| team3           = [[Kentucky Colonels]]
| highlights      = 
* Consensus first-team [[NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|All-American]] ([[1964 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1964]])
* {{nowrap|2× Consensus second-team All-American ([[1962 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1962]], [[1963 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1963]])}}
* 3× First-team [[List of All-SEC men's basketball teams|All-SEC]] (1962, 1963, 1964)
* Third-team [[Parade All-America Boys Basketball Team|''Parade'' All-American]] (1960)
| stats_league    = NBA and ABA
| stat1label      = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value      = 470 (5.6 ppg)
| stat2label      = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value      = 273 (3.3 rpg)
| stat3label      = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value      = 65 (0.8 apg)
}}
|module2={{Infobox baseball biography|embed=yes
| position = [[First baseman]] / [[left fielder]]
| birth_date = 
| birth_place = 
| bats =Right
| throws = Right
|debutleague = MLB
| debutdate =September 1
| debutyear =1967
| debutteam =Chicago White Sox
|finalleague = MLB
| finaldate =October 1
| finalyear =1970
| finalteam =Minnesota Twins
|statleague = MLB
| stat1label = [[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
| stat1value =.188
| stat2label =[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
| stat2value =3
| stat3label =[[Strikeout]]s
| stat3value =3
| stat4label =[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
| stat4value =2
| teams =
*[[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1967}})
*[[Minnesota Twins]] ({{mlby|1969}}–{{mlby|1970}})
}}
}}

'''Charles Francis''' "'''Cotton'''" '''Nash''' (July 24, 1942 – May 23, 2023) was an American professional [[basketball]] and [[baseball]] player. He played as a [[forward (basketball)|forward]] in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) for the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] and [[San Francisco Warriors]], and in the [[American Basketball Association]] (ABA) for the [[Kentucky Colonels]]. He was an [[outfielder]] in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) for the [[Chicago White Sox]] and [[Minnesota Twins]].

==Early life==
Nash was born in [[Jersey City, New Jersey]], on July 24, 1942. His uncle gave him the nickname "Cotton-top" because he was [[towheaded]].<ref name=sabr>{{Cite web|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/cotton-nash/|title=Cotton Nash |first1=Rory |last1=Costello |date= March 27, 2018 |publisher= [[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref>

The family moved to Indiana when Nash was 11 years old, and Nash picked up basketball. He attended [[Jeffersonville High School]] in [[Jeffersonville, Indiana]]. His father was transferred to work in [[Orange, Texas]], and he settled the family in [[Lake Charles, Louisiana]], because the state had more lenient rules on high school sports transfers. Nash attended Lake Charles High School from 1958 to 1960.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/602123261/?terms=%22Cotton%20Nash%22%20%22Lake%20Charles%22&match=1 |title=The Shreveport Journal 19 May 1977, page 21 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=May 19, 1977 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref>

==Basketball career==
[[File:Cotton-Nash-jersey.jpg|A jersey honoring Nash hangs in [[Rupp Arena]]|thumb|upright|left]]
Nash attended the [[University of Kentucky]], where he played [[college basketball]] for the [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball]] team. He was named to the All-[[Southeastern Conference]] three times<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/853198439/?terms=%22Cotton%20Nash%22%20%22all%20american%22&match=1 |title=Ledger-Enquirer 28 Feb 1964, page 38 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=February 28, 1964 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref> and was a [[1964 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|first-team All-American]] in 1964. Nash participated in the [[United States Olympic trials (basketball)|United States Olympic Trials]] for the [[Basketball at the 1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Summer Olympics]], and was selected as an alternate.<ref name=sabr/>

The [[Los Angeles Lakers]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) selected Nash in the second round of the [[1964 NBA draft]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/camarillo-star-lakers-draft-hazzard-nas/125219279/ |title=Lakers Draft Hazzard, Nash; Bradds Goes to Baltimore |newspaper=Camarillo Star |publisher=Newspapers.com |date= May 5, 1964|page=7 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref> He played for the Lakers until February 1, 1965, when the Lakers acquired [[Bill McGill]] and [[Waivers (sports)|waived]] Nash.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/377662409/?terms=%22Cotton%20Nash%22%20%22all%20american%22&match=1&clipping_id=124582919 |title=The Baltimore Sun 02 Feb 1965, page 25 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date= |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref> The [[San Francisco Warriors]] claimed Nash for the $1,000 waiver price.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/238722948/?terms=%22Cotton%20Nash%22%20warriors&match=1 |title=Argus-Leader 07 Feb 1965, page 35 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=February 7, 1965 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref>

Nash played in the [[American Basketball Association]] (ABA) with the [[Kentucky Colonels]] during the [[1967–68 ABA season]]. He averaged 8.5 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 1.2 assists per game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/KEN/1968.html|title=1967–68 Kentucky Colonels Roster and Stats|website=Basketball-Reference.com}}</ref>

==Baseball career==
While at the University of Kentucky, Nash also played on the [[Kentucky Wildcats baseball|Kentucky baseball team]]. In 1963, he played [[collegiate summer baseball]] with the [[Cotuit Kettleers]] of the [[Cape Cod Baseball League]] and was named a league all-star.<ref>{{cite news | title = Kettleer Notes | page = 6 | newspaper = Barnstable Patriot | location = Barnstable, MA | date = April 11, 1963 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Sturgis/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=BAR%2F1963%2F04%2F11&id=Ar00613&sk=CE3C0C1B&viewMode=image }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = 1963 Cape Cod Baseball League Champions | page = 7 | newspaper = Barnstable Patriot | location = Barnstable, MA | date = September 12, 1963 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Sturgis/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=BAR%2F1963%2F09%2F12&id=Ar00717&sk=408CDB76&viewMode=image }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = All-Star Rosters | page =5 | newspaper = Cape Cod Standard-Times | location = Hyannis, MA | date =July 20, 1963 }}</ref>

In May 1964, Nash signed with the [[Los Angeles Angels]] and made his professional baseball debut with the [[Hawaii Islanders]] of the [[Pacific Coast League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/107329897/?terms=%22Cotton%20Nash%22%20angels&match=1 |title=The Courier-Journal 16 May 1964, Page 19 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=May 16, 1964 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref> In August 1967, the Angels traded Nash with cash to the [[Chicago White Sox]] for [[Bill Skowron]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/109318355/?terms=%22Cotton%20Nash%22%20%22Bill%20Skowron%22&match=1 |title=The Courier-Journal 06 Aug 1967, Page 48 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=August 6, 1967 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref> The White Sox promoted him to the major leagues on September 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/766379501/?terms=%22Cotton%20Nash%22%20%22white%20sox%22&match=1 |title=The Belleville News-Democrat 02 Sep 1967, page 6 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=September 2, 1967 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref>

During spring training in 1969, the White Sox traded Nash to the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] for [[Ed Hobaugh]]. Nash played for the [[Columbus Jets]] in the [[International League]] that year. Hobaugh retired in June and the White Sox asked for Pittsburgh to return Nash to their farm system.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/100726858/?terms=%22Cotton%20Nash%22%20%22Ed%20Hobaugh%22&match=1 |title=The Cincinnati Enquirer 05 Jul 1969, Page 15 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=July 5, 1969 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref> Nash refused to report to the [[Tucson Toros]], and the White Sox traded him to the [[Minnesota Twins]] for a [[player to be named later]] (later determined to be [[Jerry Crider]]). Nash reported to the [[Denver Bears]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fitchburg-sentinel/50047040/ |title=Article clipped from the ''Fitchburg Sentinel'', 29 July 1969, page 12 |newspaper=[[Sentinel & Enterprise|Fitchburg Sentinel]] |via=Newspapers.com |date= July 29, 1969|page=12 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref> The Twins promoted him to the major leagues in September.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/413534516/?terms=%22Cotton%20Nash%22%20twins&match=1 |title=The Bismarck Tribune 03 Sep 1969, page 28 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=September 3, 1969 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref> Late in the 1969 season, the Twins asked Nash to come to [[spring training]] as a [[pitcher]] in 1970.<ref name="newspapers184869726" /> He played for the [[Evansville Triplets]] in 1970,<ref name="newspapers184869726">{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/184869726/?terms=%22Cotton%20Nash%22%20twins&match=1 |title=Star Tribune, 17 Sep 1969, Page 30 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=September 17, 1969 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref> earning another promotion to the major leagues that September.<ref name=sabr/>

Nash played for the [[Portland Beavers]] in 1971.<ref name="newspapers184869726"/> The [[Louisville Colonels]] of the International League acquired Nash from the Twins for [[Mike Derrick (baseball)|Mike Derrick]] in January 1972.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/773928112/?terms=%22cotton%20nash%22%20denver&match=1 |title=The Knoxville News-Sentinel 30 Jan 1972, page 34 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=January 30, 1972 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref> However, the Colonels' acquisition of [[Cecil Cooper]] made Nash expendable, and he did not make their final preseason roster cut.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/110061816/?terms=%22cotton%20nash%22&match=1 |title=The Courier-Journal 11 Apr 1972, Page 25 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=April 11, 1972 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/761321266/?terms=%22cotton%20nash%22%20denver&match=1 |title=Evansville Courier and Press 16 Apr 1972, page 40 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=April 16, 1972 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref> He joined Denver during the 1972 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/105774711/?terms=%22cotton%20nash%22&match=1 |title=The Indianapolis Star 09 May 1972, Page 30 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=May 9, 1972 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref>

==Personal and later life==
Nash and his wife, Julie Richey, began dating while they attended the University of Kentucky. They married in November 1964 and had three children.<ref name=sabr/>

In 1993, Nash was inducted into the [[Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/689855394/?terms=%22cotton%20nash%22%20coach&match=1 |title=Lexington Herald-Leader 04 Jul 1993, page 34 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=July 4, 1993 |accessdate=May 24, 2023}}</ref>

===Death===
Nash was hospitalized at Baptist Health Hospital in [[Lexington, Kentucky]], and died on May 23, 2023, aged 80,<ref name="AP-Obit">{{cite news |title=Cotton Nash, 3-time All-American at Kentucky who played in the NBA and MLB, dies |url=https://apnews.com/article/cotton-nash-dead-kentucky-nba-mlb-1720dac1403ce51794c4dd4c3e4b4e54 |access-date=May 27, 2023 |work=AP NEWS |date=May 23, 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=UK Men's Basketball Hall of Famer Cotton Nash Dies |url=https://ukathletics.com/news/2023/05/23/uk-mens-basketball-hall-of-famer-cotton-nash-dies/ |website=University of Kentucky Athletics |access-date=May 27, 2023 |date=May 23, 2023}}</ref> after suffering from ill health since the previous November.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Story |first1=Mark |title=Cotton Nash, once a Kentucky basketball 'rock star,' dies at age 80 |url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mark-story/article275702906.html |website=[[Lexington Herald-Leader]] |date=May 23, 2023 |access-date=May 23, 2023}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
{{NBA player statistics legend}}

===NBA/ABA===
Source<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/nashco01.html|title=Cotton Nash NBA & ABA stats|website=[[Basketball Reference]]|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=12 June 2023}}</ref>

====Regular season====
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
|-
!Year
!Team
!GP
!MPG
!FG%
!3P%
!FT%
!RPG
!APG
!PPG
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1964}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1964–65 Los Angeles Lakers season|L.A. Lakers]] (NBA)
| 25 || 6.7 || .246 || || .781 || 1.4 || .4 || 2.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1964|nolink=y}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1964–65 San Francisco Warriors season|San Francisco]] (NBA)
| 20 || 9.5 || '''.375''' || || '''.900''' || 2.4 || .5 || 4.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{abay|1967}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1967–68 Kentucky Colonels season|Kentucky]] (ABA)
| '''39''' || '''20.2''' || .348 || .000 || .747 || '''4.9''' || '''1.2''' || '''8.5'''
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 84 || 13.6 || .340 || .000 || .766 || 3.3 || .8 || 5.6
{{S-end}}

==See also==
*[[List of multi-sport athletes]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Basketballstats}}
{{Baseballstats|mlb=119658|espn=|br=n/nashco01|fangraphs=1009457|brm=nash--001cha|retro=N/Pnashc101}}
*[http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/Players/Nash_Cotton.html College career stats] at BigBlueHistory.net
*Cotton Nash Biography from [https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/0c2e208e Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)]

{{navboxes
|list=
{{1964 NBA draft}}
{{1962 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1963 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1964 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nash, Cotton}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:All-American college men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Jersey City, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Jersey City, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox players]]
[[Category:Cotuit Kettleers players]]
[[Category:Hawaii Islanders players]]
[[Category:Kentucky Colonels players]]
[[Category:Kentucky Wildcats baseball players]]
[[Category:Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Lakers draft picks]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Lakers players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball outfielders]]
[[Category:Minnesota Twins players]]
[[Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)]]
[[Category:San Diego Padres (minor league) players]]
[[Category:San Francisco Warriors players]]
[[Category:Small forwards]]