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Ken Williams (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Roy Williams was an American
professional
baseball
player. He played as an outfielder
in Major League Baseball
from to . Williams began his major league career with the Cincinnati Reds
before spending the majority of his playing days with the St. Louis Browns
and, finally ended his career playing for the Boston Red Sox
. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Williams was the first member of Major League Baseball's 30–30 club, for players who have reached the 30 home run
s and 30 stolen bases plateaus in the same season.
. In , he played for the Edmonton Eskimos
before moving to the Spokane Indians
in . After posting a .340 batting average
in 79 games for the Indians, he made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds on July 14, 1915
. He hit for a .242 average in 71 games for the Reds during the peak of the Dead-ball era
when only 6 players in the league hit above the .300 mark. He played in only 10 games for the Reds in 1916
, spending most of the season with Spokane and with the Portland Beavers
of the Pacific Coast League
. Williams hit 24 home run
s along with a .313 batting average for Portland in before being purchased by the St. Louis Browns.
Williams was drafted into the United States Army in April 1918
and only appeared in only two games for the Browns that season. He returned to the Browns in 1919
and hit for a .300 average along with 6 home runs in 65 games. In , Major League Baseball outlawed specialty pitches
such as the spitball
and experienced a subsequent jump in the league batting averages as well as home runs. In Williams's first full season as a regular player in 1920
, he posted a .307 batting average along with 10 home runs and 72 runs batted in. He continued to improve in 1921
with a .347 batting average with 24 home runs, 117 runs batted in and a career-high .429 on base percentage
.
Williams had the best season of his career in 1922
, leading the American League
with 39 home runs and 155 runs batted in as, the Browns finished the season one game behind the pennant
-winning New York Yankees
. 32 of his 39 home runs were hit at home
in Sportsman's Park
. On August 7, 1922, during a game against the Washington Senators
, he became the first player in American League history to hit two home runs in one inning
. His 39 home runs topped Babe Ruth
, who had led the league the previous four seasons although, Ruth had been suspended well into the season by Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis
for violating a curb on barnstorming
. He was one of only two players to break Babe Ruth's twelve-year string in which he led the American League in home runs (the other being Bob Meusel
). Also in , Williams also became the first player in history to have 30 home runs and 30-plus stolen base
s in the same season, which would not be achieved again until Willie Mays
accomplished the feat with the New York Giants
in .
In August 1923
, the Washington Senators came into possession of one of Williams' bats and discovered that it had been bored out and plugged with a lighter wood. The bat was turned over to National League umpire George Hildebrand
for investigation and the Senators protested all the victories by the Browns in which Williams had used the bat. Williams explained that he had ordered the bat specially made but, when he received it, he found it to be too heavy, so he plugged it with a lighter wood. He was cited in the 1924 Reach Guide for using a corked bat
, although major league baseball hadn't ruled plugged bats illegal at the time. He finished the 1923 season with a career-high .357 batting average along with 29 home runs and 91 runs batted in and ended the season 15th in Most Valuable Player Award balloting.
In November 1924, it was rumored that the Yankees were trying to trade for Williams, which would have teamed him with Ruth to make one of the most powerful home run combinations in baseball. However, St. Louis manager George Sisler
's insistence on the Yankees trading Waite Hoyt
for Williams was too high a price for Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert
.
Williams had another productive season in 1925
, hitting .331 with 25 home runs and 105 runs batted in, and led the league with a .613 slugging percentage. Williams continued to hit well for the remainder of his career with St. Louis until December 15, 1927
, when he was purchased by the Boston Red Sox from for $10,000. He played two more seasons for the Red Sox, hitting for a .345 average in 1929
at the age of 39. Williams returned to the minor leagues
in to play two more seasons for the Portland Beavers before retiring in at the age of 41.
, accumulating 1552 hits
in 4862 at bats for a .319 career batting average along with 196 home runs, 913 runs batted in and an on base percentage
of .393. He retired with a .958 fielding percentage
. As baseball evolved out of the dead-ball era
, Williams finished in the top four in the American League in home runs in seven consecutive seasons (1921–1927). He posted ten seasons with a batting average above .300 and, three seasons in which he scored more than 100 runs
. As of , Williams' .319 career batting average ranks 57th all-time in major league history. His .924 career on-base plus slugging
percentage and his .530 career slugging percentage, rank 45th and 49th respectively all-time among major league players. Williams holds St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles single season record for runs batted in with 155 in . He is the St. Louis Browns all-time leader in On-base percentage (.403), Slugging Percentage (.558) and OPS (.961).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He played as an 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...
in Major League Baseball
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...
from to . Williams began his major league career with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
before spending the majority of his playing days with the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and, finally ended his career playing for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Williams was the first member of Major League Baseball's 30–30 club, for players who have reached the 30 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 30 stolen bases plateaus in the same season.
Playing career
Williams began his professional baseball career in at the age of 23, playing for the Regina Red Sox of the Western Canada LeagueWestern Canada League
The Western Canada League was the name of three different baseball circuits in Minor league baseball which operated between and .The first was a Class-D league that played only in 1907 with four teams sponsored by four cities. The second was also classified as D league and ran from 1909 through...
. In , he played for the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos (baseball)
The Edmonton Eskimos were a baseball team that played in the class-D Western Canada League from 1909 until the league's demise in 1914 , and later in a revival of the league between 1919 and 1921. They were known as the Gray Birds in 1912 and 1913. They joined the Western International League...
before moving to the Spokane Indians
Spokane Indians
The Spokane Indians are a minor league baseball team located in Spokane, Washington, United States. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2003. The Indians play home games at Avista Stadium...
in . After posting a .340 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 :...
in 79 games for the Indians, he made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds on July 14, 1915
1915 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished seventh in the National League with a record of 70-83, 20 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
. He hit for a .242 average in 71 games for the Reds during the peak of the Dead-ball era
Dead-ball era
The dead-ball era is a baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 and the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919. In 1919, Ruth hit a then league record 29 home runs, a spectacular feat at that time.This era was characterized by low-scoring games and a lack of home runs...
when only 6 players in the league hit above the .300 mark. He played in only 10 games for the Reds in 1916
1916 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished tied for seventh and last place in the National League with the St. Louis Cardinals. Both teams finished with a record of 60-93, 33½ games behind the Brooklyn Robins- Roster :...
, spending most of the season with Spokane and with the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. Williams hit 24 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s along with a .313 batting average for Portland in before being purchased by the St. Louis Browns.
Williams was drafted into the United States Army in April 1918
1918 St. Louis Browns season
The 1918 St. Louis Browns season involved the Browns finishing 5th in the American League with a record of 58 wins and 64 losses.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
and only appeared in only two games for the Browns that season. He returned to the Browns in 1919
1919 St. Louis Browns season
The 1919 St. Louis Browns season involved the Browns finishing 5th in the American League with a record of 67 wins and 72 losses.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
and hit for a .300 average along with 6 home runs in 65 games. In , Major League Baseball outlawed specialty pitches
Pitch (baseball)
In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be literally "pitched" underhand, as with pitching horseshoes. Overhand throwing was not allowed until 1884.The biomechanics of...
such as the spitball
Spitball
A spitball is an illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of saliva, petroleum jelly, or some other foreign substance....
and experienced a subsequent jump in the league batting averages as well as home runs. In Williams's first full season as a regular player in 1920
1920 St. Louis Browns season
The St. Louis Browns season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Browns finishing 4th in the American League with a record of 76 wins and 77 losses.- Regular season :...
, he posted a .307 batting average along with 10 home runs and 72 runs batted in. He continued to improve in 1921
1921 St. Louis Browns season
The 1921 St. Louis Browns season involved the Browns finishing third in the American League with a record of 83 wins and 73 losses.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
with a .347 batting average with 24 home runs, 117 runs batted in and a career-high .429 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
.
Williams had the best season of his career in 1922
1922 St. Louis Browns season
The St. Louis Browns season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Browns winning 93 games, the only time in franchise history that the Browns topped the 90 win plateau. In the American League standings, the Browns finished in second place behind the New York Yankees. The Browns set a...
, leading the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with 39 home runs and 155 runs batted in as, the Browns finished the season one game behind the pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
-winning New York Yankees
1922 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 20th season for the Yankees in New York and their 22nd overall. The team finished with a record of 94 wins and 60 losses, to win their second pennant in franchise history, by a single game over the St. Louis Browns. New York was managed by Miller Huggins...
. 32 of his 39 home runs were hit at home
Home (sports)
In sports, home is a term referring to both the city and stadium, arena, or field where an athletic team plays games at their venue, whilst when the team plays elsewhere then they are considered the away team. The home term can refer to either the sponsoring institution or the place where it is...
in Sportsman's Park
Sportsman's Park
Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From...
. On August 7, 1922, during a game against the Washington Senators
1922 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 69 games, lost 85, and finished in sixth place in the American League. They were managed by Clyde Milan and played home games at Griffith Stadium.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
, he became the first player in American League history to hit two home runs in one inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
. His 39 home runs topped Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, who had led the league the previous four seasons although, Ruth had been suspended well into the season by Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis was an American jurist who served as a federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and as the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death...
for violating a curb on barnstorming
Barnstorm (sports)
Barnstorming in athletics refers to sports teams or individuals that travel to various locations, usually small towns, to stage exhibition matches....
. He was one of only two players to break Babe Ruth's twelve-year string in which he led the American League in home runs (the other being Bob Meusel
Bob Meusel
Robert William "Bob" Meusel was an American baseball left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yankees...
). Also in , Williams also became the first player in history to have 30 home runs and 30-plus stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s in the same season, which would not be achieved again until Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
accomplished the feat with the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in .
In August 1923
1923 St. Louis Browns season
The 1923 St. Louis Browns season involved the Browns finishing 5th in the American League with a record of 74 wins and 78 losses.- Notable transactions :* May 12, 1923: Sloppy Thurston was purchased from the Browns by the Chicago White Sox.- Roster :...
, the Washington Senators came into possession of one of Williams' bats and discovered that it had been bored out and plugged with a lighter wood. The bat was turned over to National League umpire George Hildebrand
George Hildebrand
George Albert Hildebrand was an American left fielder and umpire in Major League Baseball who played 11 games for the 1902 Brooklyn Superbas and later umpired in the American League from 1913 to 1934. He is often credited as having invented the spitball while playing in the minor leagues...
for investigation and the Senators protested all the victories by the Browns in which Williams had used the bat. Williams explained that he had ordered the bat specially made but, when he received it, he found it to be too heavy, so he plugged it with a lighter wood. He was cited in the 1924 Reach Guide for using a corked bat
Corked bat
In baseball, a corked bat is a specially modified baseball bat that has been filled with cork or other lighter, less dense substances to make the bat lighter without losing much power. A lighter bat gives a hitter a quicker swing and may improve the hitter's timing...
, although major league baseball hadn't ruled plugged bats illegal at the time. He finished the 1923 season with a career-high .357 batting average along with 29 home runs and 91 runs batted in and ended the season 15th in Most Valuable Player Award balloting.
In November 1924, it was rumored that the Yankees were trying to trade for Williams, which would have teamed him with Ruth to make one of the most powerful home run combinations in baseball. However, St. Louis manager George Sisler
George Sisler
George Harold Sisler , nicknamed "Gentleman George" and "Gorgeous George," was an American professional baseball player for 15 seasons, primarily as first baseman with the St. Louis Browns...
's insistence on the Yankees trading Waite Hoyt
Waite Hoyt
Waite Charles Hoyt was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, one of the dominant pitchers of the 1920s, and the winningest pitcher for the New York Yankees during that decade...
for Williams was too high a price for Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert
Jacob Ruppert
Jacob Ruppert, Jr. , sometimes referred to as Jake Ruppert, was a National Guard colonel; a U.S. Representative from New York; and brewery owner, who went on to own the New York Yankees...
.
Williams had another productive season in 1925
1925 St. Louis Browns season
The 1925 St. Louis Browns season involved the Browns finishing 3rd in the American League with a record of 82 wins and 71 losses.- Regular season :...
, hitting .331 with 25 home runs and 105 runs batted in, and led the league with a .613 slugging percentage. Williams continued to hit well for the remainder of his career with St. Louis until December 15, 1927
1927 St. Louis Browns season
The 1927 St. Louis Browns season involved the Browns finishing 7th in the American League with a record of 59 wins and 94 losses.- Offseason :...
, when he was purchased by the Boston Red Sox from for $10,000. He played two more seasons for the Red Sox, hitting for a .345 average in 1929
1929 Boston Red Sox season
The 1929 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 8th in the American League with a record of 58 wins and 96 losses.- Opening Day lineup :- Roster :- Starters by position :...
at the age of 39. Williams returned to the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
in to play two more seasons for the Portland Beavers before retiring in at the age of 41.
Career statistics
In a 14 year major league career, Williams played in 1397 gamesGames 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,...
, accumulating 1552 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....
in 4862 at bats for a .319 career batting average along with 196 home runs, 913 runs batted in and an on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
of .393. He retired with a .958 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...
. As baseball evolved out of the dead-ball era
Dead-ball era
The dead-ball era is a baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 and the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919. In 1919, Ruth hit a then league record 29 home runs, a spectacular feat at that time.This era was characterized by low-scoring games and a lack of home runs...
, Williams finished in the top four in the American League in home runs in seven consecutive seasons (1921–1927). He posted ten seasons with a batting average above .300 and, three seasons in which he scored more than 100 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...
. As of , Williams' .319 career batting average ranks 57th all-time in major league history. His .924 career on-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
percentage and his .530 career slugging percentage, rank 45th and 49th respectively all-time among major league players. Williams holds St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles single season record for runs batted in with 155 in . He is the St. Louis Browns all-time leader in On-base percentage (.403), Slugging Percentage (.558) and OPS (.961).
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- 30-30 club30-30 clubThe 30–30 club is a grouping of Major League Baseball players who have reached the 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases plateaus in the same season....
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
External links
- Ken Williams at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...