Williams, Smokey Joe

Williams, Smokey Joe

▪ American baseball player
byname of  Joseph Williams 
born April 6, 1886?, Seguin, Texas, U.S.
died Feb. 25, 1951?, New York, N.Y.
 American baseball player who was an early star of the Negro leagues (Negro league).

      Williams was a 6-foot 4-inch (1.93 metre) right-handed pitcher who combined a high-velocity fastball with very good control. Williams was occasionally called “Cyclone,” a nickname, like “Smokey,” derived from the speed of his pitch. He played between 1905 and 1932, in an era when record keeping was less than accurate and sometimes nonexistent. There is not even agreement on his birth and death dates (the dates cited here are from the Baseball Hall of Fame). The same uncertainty exists when attempting to document Williams's career. Many of his important accomplishments were not recorded in newspapers but were simply passed by word of mouth. Nonetheless, many observers of Negro league baseball consider Williams the best black pitcher of all time, even superior to the legendary Satchel Paige (Paige, Satchel).

      During his 27-year career, Williams played with 11 teams, although most of his time was split between two clubs: the New York Lincoln Giants and the Homestead Grays. He began his career near his hometown, pitching for independent black baseball teams in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. He reportedly won 28 games in 1905 and 32 games in 1909. In 1912 Williams went to New York City to play with the Lincoln Giants and was with them off and on until 1925, when he joined the Homestead Grays. He remained with Homestead until he retired in 1932. In 1930 Williams recorded 27 strikeouts in a 12-inning game against the Kansas City Monarchs. In exhibition games that Williams pitched against teams composed of white major leaguers, he won 20 games and lost 7. Williams also played in Cuba for three winter seasons, winning 22 games and losing 15. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., in 1999.

Milton Jamail
 

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cyclone Joe Williams — Pitcher Born: April 6, 1886(1886 04 06) Seguin, Texas …   Wikipedia

  • Joe Greene (American football) — Joe Greene Position(s) Defensive Tackle Jersey #(s) 75 (72 early 1969) Born September 24, 1946 (1946 09 24) (age 65) Temple, Texas …   Wikipedia

  • Williams Grove Speedway — Motorsport venue Name = Williams Grove Speedway Nicknames = Time = GMT 5 Location = Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Coordinates = Image caption = Sprint cars racing at Williams Grove in 1985 Capacity = Owner = Hughes family Operator = Hughes family… …   Wikipedia

  • Otis Williams — This article is about a member of The Temptations. For the doo wop group, see Otis Williams and the Charms. Otis Williams Born October 30, 1941 (1941 10 30) (age 70) Texarkana, Texas, U.S. Genres R B, pop, soul …   Wikipedia

  • Vesta Williams — (born 1963, Coshocton, Ohio) is an American R B singer. She is sometimes credited by her full name and sometimes simply as Vesta. She is known for her full four octave voice range.CareerThe daughter of a disc jockey, Williams began performing at… …   Wikipedia

  • List of baseball nicknames — Baseball nicknames have become an integral part of the sport s culture: In no sport are nicknames more pervasive than baseball. [1] This is a list of nicknames of Major League Baseball teams and players. It includes a complete list of nicknames… …   Wikipedia

  • baseball — /bays bawl /, n. 1. a game of ball between two nine player teams played usually for nine innings on a field that has as a focal point a diamond shaped infield with a home plate and three other bases, 90 ft. (27 m) apart, forming a circuit that… …   Universalium

  • List of blues standards — A blues standard is a blues song that is widely known, performed, and recorded by blues artists. [Hertzhalf, Gerard; Harris, Paul; Hanssler, Jerry; Mikfsky, Anton J. (1997). Encyclopedia of The Blues , (2nd. Sub edition). University of Arkansas… …   Wikipedia

  • Liste des membres du Temple de la renommée du baseball — En 1936, cinq joueurs sont élus au Temple de la renommée du baseball. Après les élections de Pat Gillick le 6 décembre 2010 et Roberto Alomar et Bert Blyleven le 5 janvier 2011, 295 personnalités sont inscrites au palmarès. Liste des membres du… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Homestead Grays — Période d activité 1912–1950 …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”