Woody Williams, baseball player, 1938-1945

Woody Williams

Born: 8/21/1912 in Pamplin, VA, USA

Died: 2/24/1995 in Appomattox, VA, USA

MLB Debut: 1938-09-05 | Final Game: 1945-09-30

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Woodrow Wilson Williams

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Biography

Woody Williams was a notable position player in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1938 until 1945. Born in 1912, Williams played during a transformative era in baseball, marked by the challenges of World War II and the evolving dynamics of the game. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 338 games, demonstrating a solid presence at the plate with 314 hits and a batting average of .25. His offensive contributions included 79 runs batted in and 1 home run, while he also showcased his speed on the bases with 14 stolen bases. Williams' playing style reflected the gritty determination of his era, as he navigated the competitive landscape of baseball during a time when many players were enlisted in military service. His ability to maintain a consistent batting average and contribute to his team's offensive efforts underscored his value as a player. Though he may not have been a superstar, Williams' contributions to the teams he played for during the pivotal years of the late 1930s and early 1940s remain a testament to the resilience and spirit of baseball during that period.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
38.0 37.0 3.0 4.0 1.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0.108 0.108 0.135 0.243

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
43.0 0 0 17.0 6.0 0 0 0.0 119.0 72.0 33.0 3.0 0 0 2.39

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1936 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000
1937 17.0 17.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0.118 0.118 0.176 0.294
1938 10.0 9.0 1.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.222 0.222 0.222 0.444
1940 11.0 11.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1936 0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 6.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0.00
1937 18.0 0 0 11.0 3.0 0 0 0.0 69.0 44.0 24.0 2.0 0 0 3.58
1938 12.0 0 0 3.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 24.0 13.0 6.0 1.0 0 0 1.80
1940 13.0 0 0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 20.0 13.0 3.0 0 0 0 1.08

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
338 1255 133 314 40 5 1 79 14 88 52 0.250 0.301 0.292 0.594 -3272.3

Career AVG .250 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .301 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — 8.8% below league average.

Career SLG .292 vs. league average .363 across their career seasons — 19.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.594 vs. league average 0.693 across their career seasons — 14.3% 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
1938 BRO NL 20 51 6 17 1 1 0 6 1 4 1 0.333 .272 (+22%) .341 (+12%) .392 (avg) .734 (+5%) 50.9
1943 CIN NL 30 69 8 26 2 1 0 11 0 1 3 0.377 .255 (+47%) .324 (+19%) .346 (+26%) .671 (+22%) 214.9
1944 CIN NL 155 653 73 157 23 3 1 35 7 44 24 0.240 .261 (-8%) .325 (-11%) .357 (-19%) .683 (-15%) -1960.7
1945 CIN NL 133 482 46 114 14 0 0 27 6 39 24 0.237 .260 (-9%) .328 (-10%) .354 (-25%) .683 (-18%) -1577.5

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 300 0 704 973 50 163
3B 8 0 3 6 2 1
SS 23 0 30 31 7 5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1938 BRO 3B 1 0 2 0 0 0
1938 BRO SS 18 0 26 28 4 4
1943 CIN 2B 12 0 32 38 1 5
1943 CIN 3B 7 0 1 6 2 1
1943 CIN SS 5 0 4 3 3 1
1944 CIN 2B 155 0 377 542 27 97
1945 CIN 2B 133 0 295 393 22 61

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 300
Third Base 8
Shortstop 24