Lefty Williams
Born: 3/9/1893 in Aurora, MO, USA
Died: 11/4/1959 in Laguna Beach, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1913-09-17 | Final Game: 1920-09-25
Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 160 lbs
Full name: Claude Preston Williams
Biography
Lefty Williams, born in 1893, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1913 to 1920. Known for his impressive left-handed delivery, Williams established himself as a formidable presence on the mound during the early 20th century. He finished his career with a record of 82-48 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.13, showcasing his ability to control games and limit scoring opportunities for opposing teams. Over his tenure, he recorded 515 strikeouts and notched 5 saves, reflecting both his starting and relief capabilities.
Williams played during a transitional period in baseball, navigating the shift from the deadball era to a more offensively driven game. His contributions were particularly significant during the 1919 season, when he was a member of the Chicago White Sox team that faced controversy due to the Black Sox Scandal. Despite the turmoil surrounding the team, Williams' performance on the field remained noteworthy, as he demonstrated resilience and skill. His career, though shorter than many of his contemporaries, left an indelible mark on the sport, and he is remembered as one of the prominent pitchers of his era.
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
Batting
| PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.0 | 22.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0.273 | 0.333 | 0.273 | 0.606 |
Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 52.0 | 24.0 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.59 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
| Season | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 2.000 |
| 1928 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.250 | 0.400 | 0.250 | 0.650 |
| 1930 | 18.0 | 17.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0.235 | 0.278 | 0.235 | 0.513 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching
| Season | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 7.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 1928 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 14.0 | 7.0 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 1930 | 11.0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 28.0 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.54 |
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | 48 | 189 | 152 | 80 | 10 | 5 | 1186.0 | 1121 | 413 | 30 | 347 | 515 | 3.13 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | DET | AL | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 29.0 | 34 | 16 | 4 | 9 | 4.97 | 446.4 |
| 1914 | DET | AL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
| 1916 | CHW | AL | 13 | 7 | 43 | 26 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 224.3 | 220 | 72 | 65 | 138 | 2.89 | - |
| 1917 | CHW | AL | 17 | 8 | 45 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 230.0 | 221 | 76 | 81 | 85 | 2.97 | - |
| 1918 | CHW | AL | 6 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 105.7 | 76 | 32 | 47 | 30 | 2.73 | - |
| 1919 | CHW | AL | 23 | 11 | 41 | 40 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 297.0 | 265 | 87 | 58 | 125 | 2.64 | - |
| 1920 | CHW | AL | 22 | 14 | 39 | 38 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 299.0 | 302 | 130 | 90 | 128 | 3.91 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 190 | 384 | 30 | 61 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 33 | 112 | 0.159 | 0.227 | 0.201 | 0.428 | -1778.3 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | DET | AL | 5 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.100 | 0.0 |
| 1914 | DET | AL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1916 | CHW | AL | 43 | 74 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 30 | 0.135 | -414.1 |
| 1917 | CHW | AL | 45 | 67 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 19 | 0.090 | -534.7 |
| 1918 | CHW | AL | 15 | 38 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0.132 | 0.0 |
| 1919 | CHW | AL | 41 | 94 | 10 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 28 | 0.181 | -397.1 |
| 1920 | CHW | AL | 39 | 101 | 5 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 0.218 | -432.3 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.200 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | WS | CHA | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.200 |
| 1917 | WS | CHA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 17.3 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 6.75 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | WS | CHA | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 16.3 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 6.61 |
| 1917 | WS | CHA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 189 | 0 | 36 | 217 | 12 | 8 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | DET | P | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914 | DET | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916 | CHA | P | 43 | 0 | 9 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917 | CHA | P | 45 | 0 | 8 | 46 | 4 | 2 |
| 1918 | CHA | P | 15 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| 1919 | CHA | P | 41 | 0 | 8 | 54 | 3 | 1 |
| 1920 | CHA | P | 39 | 0 | 8 | 57 | 3 | 5 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 189 |