Stan Williams (baseball)

Stan Williams
Pitcher
Born: (1936-09-14)September 14, 1936 Enfield, New Hampshire, U.S.
Died: February 20, 2021(2021-02-20) (aged 84) Laughlin, Nevada, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 17, 1958, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Last MLB appearance
August 1, 1972, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	109–94
Earned run average	3.48
Strikeouts	1,305
Teams
As player Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–1962) New York Yankees (1963–1964) Cleveland Indians (1965, 1967–1969 ) Minnesota Twins (1970–1971) St. Louis Cardinals (1971) Boston Red Sox (1972) As coach Boston Red Sox (1975–1976) Chicago White Sox (1977–1978) New York Yankees (1980–1982) Cincinnati Reds (1984) New York Yankees (1987–1988) Cincinnati Reds (1990–1991) Seattle Mariners (1998–1999)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star (1960, 1960²) 2× World Series champion (1959, 1990)

Stanley Wilson Williams (September 14, 1936 – February 20, 2021), nicknamed "Big Daddy" and "the Big Hurt", was an American

Williams was born in Enfield, New Hampshire, on September 14, 1936.^[1][2] He was the youngest of four children of Irving, a construction worker, and Evelyn. The Williams family moved to Denver when he was three years old. He attended East High School, where he played baseball and football.^[1] He was signed as an amateur free agent by the Brooklyn Dodgers before the 1954 season.^[2]

Professional career

Williams played in the

In the 1962 best-of-three playoff against the San Francisco Giants, Williams was not as successful. In game 2, he blew the save as the Giants tied the game with two runs in the eighth inning, but earned the win when the Dodgers scored in the bottom of the ninth to win 8–7.^[6] In the decisive third game, the Dodgers were leading in the top of the ninth 4–2. Williams entered the game with the score 4–3, bases loaded, and one out. Williams gave up a sacrifice fly to Orlando Cepeda that tied the game, then threw a wild pitch and issued an intentional walk that re-loaded the bases. He then walked Jim Davenport to force in what turned out to be the series winning run before he gave way to Ron Perranoski.^[1][7]

Williams, a 1960

Although his control often kept him from being a top pitcher, Williams' presence on the mound was huge, and many batters around the league feared the six-foot, five-inch right-hander, who had a blistering fastball and was not afraid to pitch inside.[1] In 1961, Williams finished second in the National League in strikeouts with 205, behind teammate Sandy Koufax (269). Yet another Dodger pitcher, Don Drysdale, finished third that year (182).^[9]

Williams was a key member of the Indians' pitching staff from 1967 to 1969. He had a 13–11 record in 1968, and led the Indians' staff in appearances in 1969. In 1970, he went 10–1 on the season in relief, with a 1.99 ERA, for the Twins. Williams played his final major league game on August 1, 1972, just over a month before his 36th birthday. He finished his final season with a 6.23 ERA and three strikeouts in just three games for the Boston Red Sox.^[2]

Williams appeared in two World Series as a player. In 1959, facing the Chicago White Sox, he threw two hitless innings in relief of Koufax in Game 5.^[10] Chicago won that game, 1–0, but the Dodgers took the next game to win the world championship.^[11] Williams later played as a Yankee against the Dodgers in the 1963 series. In Game 1, he came in for Whitey Ford, with Los Angeles leading 5–0. Williams allowed only one hit over three innings, but the Dodgers prevailed 5–2 behind Koufax' 15 strikeouts.^[12] They eventually swept the Yankees in four straight games.^[13]

Pitching coach

After retiring from playing, Williams served as a

Williams was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in April 2013. He resided in Lakewood, California, before relocating to Nevada in December 2020. He died on February 20, 2021, at his home in Laughlin, Nevada. He was 84, and suffered from cardio-pulmonary illness prior to his death.^[15]

References