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

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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	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1927	1.0	1.0	0	1.0	0	0	1.000	1.000	1.000	2.000
1928	5.0	4.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	0	0.250	0.400	0.250	0.650
1930	18.0	17.0	4.0	4.0	1.0	2.0	0.235	0.278	0.235	0.513

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season	W	GS	CG	H	R	ER	HR	ERA
1927	1.0	1.0	0	10.0	7.0	0	0	0.00
1928	2.0	2.0	1.0	14.0	7.0	0	2.0	0.00
1930	11.0	3.0	2.0	28.0	10.0	8.0	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

Career ERA 3.13 vs. league average 2.98 across their career seasons — 5.2% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1913	DET	AL	1	3	5	4	3	0	1	29.0	34	16	4	9	4.97	3.07 (-62%)	422.7
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	2.78 (-4%)	-
1917	CHW	AL	17	8	45	29	8	1	1	230.0	221	76	81	85	2.97	2.69 (-11%)	-
1918	CHW	AL	6	4	15	14	7	2	1	105.7	76	32	47	30	2.73	2.83 (+4%)	-
1919	CHW	AL	23	11	41	40	27	5	1	297.0	265	87	58	125	2.64	3.09 (+15%)	-
1920	CHW	AL	22	14	39	38	25	0	0	299.0	302	130	90	128	3.91	3.45 (-14%)	-

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	-1762.3

Career AVG .159 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 38.3% below league average.

Career OBP .227 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — 29.3% below league average.

Career SLG .201 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — 40.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.428 vs. league average 0.661 across their career seasons — 35.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1913	DET	AL	5	10	1	1	0	0	0	1	5	0.100	—	—	—	—	0.0
1914	DET	AL	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1916	CHW	AL	43	74	5	10	2	1	4	7	30	0.135	.248 (-46%)	.314 (-30%)	.326 (-42%)	.640 (-36%)	-419.2
1917	CHW	AL	45	67	5	6	0	1	2	8	19	0.090	.248 (-64%)	.312 (-40%)	.323 (-63%)	.635 (-52%)	-536.6
1918	CHW	AL	15	38	4	5	0	0	2	1	14	0.132	—	—	—	—	0.0
1919	CHW	AL	41	94	10	17	2	2	10	9	28	0.181	.262 (-31%)	.322 (-22%)	.347 (-30%)	.670 (-26%)	-400.0
1920	CHW	AL	39	101	5	22	2	1	11	7	16	0.218	.271 (-20%)	.331 (-19%)	.363 (-29%)	.694 (-24%)	-406.5