Pop Williams, baseball player, 1898-1903

Pop Williams

Born: 5/19/1874 in Bowdoinham, ME, USA

Died: 8/4/1959 in Topsham, ME, USA

MLB Debut: 1898-09-14 | Final Game: 1903-09-15

Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Walter Merrill Williams

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Biography

Pop Williams was a professional baseball pitcher who played from 1898 to 1909, making a notable impact during the early years of the 20th century. Born in 1874, Williams established himself as a reliable arm in a time when the game was transitioning toward a more modern style of play. Over the course of his career, he amassed a record of 16-25, showcasing his durability on the mound despite the challenges of the era. With a career earned run average (ERA) of 3.17, Williams demonstrated an ability to keep opposing hitters at bay, striking out 132 batters throughout his tenure in the major leagues. Although he did not record any saves, his contributions were significant in a period when the role of pitchers was evolving, and teams began to rely more heavily on specialized relief pitchers in later years. Williams' career, spanning from the late 19th century into the early 1900s, positioned him as a key figure during an era marked by the emergence of new strategies and styles in baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
16 25 47 47 41 2 0 386.3 426 136 4 113 132 3.17 0

Career ERA 3.17 vs. league average 3.27 across their career seasons — near 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
1898 WAS NL 0 2 2 2 2 0 0 17.0 32 16 7 3 8.47 3.59 (-136%) -20.7
1902 CHC NL 11 16 32 32 27 1 0 263.3 267 73 63 99 2.49 3.17 (+21%) -
1903 CHC NL 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 5.0 9 3 0 2 5.40 — -
1903 PHI NL 1 1 2 2 2 0 0 18.0 21 6 6 8 3.00 3.10 (+3%) 34.4
1903 BSN NL 4 5 10 10 9 1 0 83.0 97 38 37 20 4.12 3.10 (-33%) -2743.8

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
59 179 21 40 3 2 0 18 0 11 14 0.223 0.287 0.263 0.550 -306.9

Career AVG .223 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 16.0% below league average.

Career OBP .287 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 11.2% below league average.

Career SLG .263 vs. league average .345 across their career seasons — 24.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.550 vs. league average 0.669 across their career seasons — 17.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1898 WAS NL 2 8 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.375 — — — — 0.0
1902 CHC NL 39 120 14 25 2 2 0 13 0 11 13 0.208 .266 (-22%) .321 (-10%) .343 (-25%) .665 (-17%) -306.9
1903 CHC NL 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1903 PHI NL 2 7 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0.286 — — — — 0.0
1903 BSN NL 14 42 4 10 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0.238 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 8 0 12 1 1 0
P 47 0 21 108 8 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1898 WAS P 2 0 0 2 1 0
1902 CHN OF 6 0 8 0 1 0
1902 CHN P 32 0 14 78 4 1
1903 CHN P 1 0 0 1 0 0
1903 PHI P 2 0 3 8 1 0
1903 BSN OF 2 0 4 1 0 0
1903 BSN P 10 0 4 19 2 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 47
Left Field 2
Right Field 6

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Bowdoin College Brunswick ME 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896