Bill Stewart

Note: This page links to 1950s outfielder Bill Stewart. For the former major league umpire from 1933 to 1955, click here.

William Wayne Stewart

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 200 lb.
• School Michigan State College, Walsh Institute
• Debut April 17, 1955
• Final Game September 25, 1955
• Born April 15, 1928 in Bay City, MI USA
• Died September 25, 2013 in Northville, MI USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Bill Stewart was a right-hand hitting outfielder who had a brief stay with the Kansas City Athletics in 1955. He made the Athletics roster out of spring training. He had attended Michigan State College on a football scholarship and served in the Army before entering pro baseball. Stewart was signed by the Athletics as an amateur free agent before the 1949 season and was assigned to the Lexington A's of the class D North Carolina State League. In his first season in pro ball, he hit at a .311 clip with 7 home runs in 113 games.

Stewart spent six seasons of good solid play in the minor leagues before getting his look at big league pitching. He appeared briefly early in the season, making his debut with the Athletics on April 17th. Shortly thereafter, Stewart was sent to the Columbus Jets of the International League where he hit for a .299 average with 12 home runs in 92 outings. He was then recalled by the Athletics in late September where he finished his major league time with a total of 11 games, but hitting just .111. This turned out to be his only chance in the majors.

Bill spent two more seasons in baseball with the Charleston Senators, Columbus Jets and the Buffalo Bisons, with just average success. Bill called it a career after the 1957 season. He had logged nine years in the minors and finished up with a .281 hitting average with 85 home runs in 960 games. Stewart said that his greatest memory in baseball was forged when he was with the Ottawa A's of the International League and "met the wonderful Canadian lady who became his wife."

After leaving baseball, he attended the Walsh Institute in Troy, Michigan to study accounting. The Bay City, MI, native worked for the West Bloomfield Township assessor's office as a municipal government property tax appraiser, retiring in 1988.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• BR Minors page