Brian Williams

Note: This page discusses 1990s pitcher Brian Williams. For others of the same name, click here.

Brian O'Neal Williams

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 195 lb.
• School University of South Carolina
• High School Lewisville High School (Richburg)
• Debut September 16, 1991
• Final Game July 5, 2000
• Born February 15, 1969 in Lancaster, SC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Brian Williams played parts of nine seasons in the majors.

Williams was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 1987 amateur draft but did not sign, opting to attend the University of South Carolina instead. He was with Team USA for the 1989 Intercontinental Cup. He was then taken by the Houston Astros in the first round of the 1990 amateur draft with the 31st overall pick. He made his pro debut that summer, making 3 starts for the Auburn Astros.

Williams pitched at three levels in the minors in 1991 before earning a September call-up to Houston. He made his big league debut on September 16th, starting against the San Diego Padres and taking the loss after giving up 3 earned runs in 7 innings of work. He made one more September start and ended his first taste of the majors with a 3.75 ERA over 12 innings of work. After starting 1992 with the AAA Tucson Toros, he joined the Astros rotation in June and went 7-6 with a 3.92 ERA in 16 starts. He split the next two summers between the rotation and the bullpen, with his ERA increasing with each season. Following the 1994 campaign, he was traded to San Diego as part of a 12-player trade that also brought Ken Caminiti to the Padres.

Williams went 3-10 with a 6.00 ERA for San Diego in 1995. He then spent 1996 with the Detroit Tigers, for whom he was 3-10 with a 6.77 ERA (the fifth straight year his ERA had increased). He moved on to the Baltimore Orioles in 1997, posting a much more respectable 3.00 ERA in 13 games. He played for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in Japan in 1998, going 5-6 with a 5.60 ERA. He returned to Houston the next summer, and was 2-1 with a 4.41 ERA in 50 relief outings. He then played for the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians in 2000 and was in the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees organizations in 2001. He ended his playing career with two years with the Atlantic City Surf in the independent Atlantic League.