Pop Williams

Walter Merrill Williams

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 190 lb.
• School Bowdoin College
• Debut September 14, 1898
• Final Game September 15, 1903
• Born May 19, 1874 in Bowdoinham, ME USA
• Died August 4, 1959 in Topsham, ME USA

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Biographical Information

"Twirler 'Pop' Williams is proving our most successful box artist, and is doing the best work of his career on the diamond." - from the August 12, 1899 issue of The Sporting Life, about his work for Toronto, apparently quoting the manager of the ferry company which owned the club

Walter "Pop" Williams, the first major leaguer out of Bowdoin College, pitched three years in the majors. Most of his appearances were for the 1902 Chicago Orphans.

Williams was born in Bowdoinham, ME. He was at Bowdoin College from 1893-96, and in 1896 played in the New England League.

Pop came to the majors in the middle of September 1898 with the 1898 Washington Senators, after having spent most of the year with Toronto. In 1899 he went back to Toronto and went 20-10.

He came back to the majors with the 1902 Chicago Orphans, a team managed by Frank Selee. Williams was the same age as the star pitcher on the team, Jack Taylor, and three years older than first baseman Frank Chance. Williams' ERA was 2.49, higher than the team ERA of 2.19 (the league had a 2.78 ERA that year).

After one game in 1903, he was sold by Chicago to the 1903 Phillies who used him twice and then released him. The 1903 Boston Beaneaters picked him up and he went 4-5 for a team which was 58-80 on the year.

Unlike many players who were known more by their real names than by their nicknames, Williams was referred to in a June 21, 1902 issue of The Sporting Life as Pop.