Ken Williams
Note: This page links to Ken Williams, slugger of the 1910s and 1920s. For others with similar names, click here.
Kenneth Roy Williams
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 170 lb.
- Debut July 14, 1915
- Final Game August 10, 1929
- Born June 28, 1890 in Grants Pass, OR USA
- Died January 22, 1959 in Grants Pass, OR USA
Biographical Information[edit]
"Ken Williams slugged 196 homers and ranks as the fifth best HR hitter of all time based on the number of four baggers hit divided by the league average for outs and plate appearances." - from a 2003 article by Rich Lederer
Ken Williams was a top player during his era with a career OPS+ of 138, tied for # 83 on the all-time list. He holds the MLB record for fewest games in a 100-RBI season when he had 105 RBI in just 102 games in 1925. He was also the first 30/30 player (30 HR and 30 SB), doing so in 1922 - it would be 34 years until Willie Mays became the second to turn the feat.
Williams, who played 14 seasons in the majors, spent most of that time with the St. Louis Browns. He led the 1922 American League in HR and RBI. He didn't get 300+ at-bats in a season until age 30. Between 1919-29 he hit at least .300 every season except for once in 1926. He also had speed, stealing 154 bases in his major league career.
He had his major league debut with the 1915 Cincinnati Reds after hitting .340 for Spokane during the first part of 1915. Tommy Leach, at the time 37 years old, wasn't hitting too well for the Reds, and Williams was given a lot of games in the outfield after his debut with the Reds in the middle of July.
Ken was born in Grants Pass, OR. After baseball, Ken returned to Grants Pass where he and Hub Pernoll ran The Owl Club and Billiard Parlor for many years.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- AL Slugging Percentage Leader (1925)
- AL Total Bases Leader (1922)
- AL Home Runs Leader (1922)
- AL RBI Leader (1922)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 4 (1921-1923 & 1925)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1922)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 3 (1921-1922 & 1925)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 3 (1921-1923)
Further Reading[edit]
- Dave Heller: Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth’s Shadow, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2017. ISBN 978-1-4766-6535-1
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