Johnny Williams
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Johnny Williams was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Birmingham Black Barons, the Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns, and the Indianapolis Clowns. Across 38 career appearances, he went 10-15 with a 4.84 ERA and 73 strikeouts. Johnny Williams was a 2-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 2407.7.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 180 lb
- Died
- 5/4/1986 in Shreveport, LA, USA
- Awards
- 2× All-Star
Full name: John Henry Williams
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | BBB | NAL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10.80 | — | 0.0 |
| 1944 | BBB | NAL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1944 | CIC | NAL | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27.2 | 23 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 4.23 | 3.57 (-18%) | 372.2 |
| 1945 | CIC | NAL | 1 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 54.2 | 69 | 34 | 15 | 29 | 5.60 | 3.67 (-53%) | 326.8 |
| 1946 | CIC | NAL | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13.2 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4.61 | 3.59 (-28%) | 68.4 |
| 1947 | CIC | NAL | 5 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 60.1 | 68 | 24 | 11 | 20 | 3.58 | 3.97 (+10%) | 1974.5 |
| 1948 | IC | NAL | 1 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 40.1 | 44 | 28 | 16 | 11 | 6.25 | 4.10 (-52%) | -334.2 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 10 | 15 | 38 | 22 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 201.0 | 223 | 108 | 59 | 73 | 4.84 | — | 2,408 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 103 | 10 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 4 | .194 | .259 | .214 | .473 | 0 |
Career AVG .194 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 25.4% below league average.
Career OBP .259 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 21.7% below league average.
Career SLG .214 vs. league average .362 across their career seasons — 41.0% below league average.
Career OPS .473 vs. league average .693 across their career seasons — 31.8% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | BBB | NAL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1944 | BBB | NAL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1944 | CIC | NAL | 9 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1945 | CIC | NAL | 14 | 32 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .156 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1946 | CIC | NAL | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1947 | CIC | NAL | 13 | 29 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | .241 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1948 | IC | NAL | 13 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | .095 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 56 | 103 | 10 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 4 | .194 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 38 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Johnny Williams: the record in brief
Johnny Williams's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1943 to 1948. Williams played for the Birmingham Black Barons (1943 through 1944), the Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns (1944 through 1947), and the Indianapolis Clowns (1948). The bio lists Williams as a pitcher who both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 6 feet, 4 inches and 180 pounds. The birth record reads May 1, 1918, in Shreveport, LA, USA. The bio records the death on May 4, 1986, in Shreveport, LA, USA. On the record, Johnny Williams was born John Henry Williams.
Williams's career pitching line is 10 wins, 15 losses and a 4.84 ERA over 38 appearances. The totals include 73 strikeouts and 17 complete games. The league ERA over Williams's seasons was 3.73, so the 4.84 figure ran 29.6% worse than average. 1947 brought Williams a season-high 5 wins. 1947 was Williams's sharpest full season, a 3.58 ERA against the league's 3.97.
Frequently Asked Questions about Johnny Williams
- Was Johnny Williams a pitcher?
- Yes. Johnny Williams pitched in the major leagues, recording 10 wins and 73 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Johnny Williams hit?
- Johnny Williams hit 0 career home runs with 20 hits.
- What teams did Johnny Williams play for?
- Johnny Williams played for 2 teams: the Birmingham Black Barons (1943–1944) and the Indianapolis Clowns (1944–1948).
- What awards did Johnny Williams win?
- Johnny Williams was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
- What were Johnny Williams's career stats?
- In 38 games, Johnny Williams went 10-15 with a 4.84 ERA, 73 strikeouts, 201.0 innings pitched, and 1 saves.
- What position did Johnny Williams play?
- Johnny Williams played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Johnny Williams and how much did he weigh?
- Johnny Williams was listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 180 pounds.
- What was Johnny Williams's career ERA?
- Johnny Williams finished with a 4.84 career ERA, going 10-15 with 73 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Johnny Williams have?
- Johnny Williams recorded 73 career strikeouts.
- Is Johnny Williams in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Johnny Williams has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Johnny Williams make?
- Johnny Williams was selected to 2 All-Star Games.