Smokey joe williams biography
"Smokey Joe" Williams
Joseph Williams
Nickname: Joe, Smokey Joe, Cyclone, Yank
Career: 1905-1932
Positions: p, of, 1b, manager
Teams: San Antonio Black Bronchos (1907-1909), Chicago Giants (1910), Another York Lincoln Giants (1911-1923), Iroquois Giants (1913), Chicago American Giants (1914), Atlantic City Bacharach Giants (1916), Hilldale Daisies (1917), Borough Royal Giants (1924), Homestead Grays (1925-1932), Detroit Wolves (1932)
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6' 4'' Weight: 190
Born: April 6, 1885, Seguin, Texas
Died: March 12, 1946, Latest York, New York
National Ballgame Hall of Fame Inductee (1999)
During the first half guide its existence, Smokey Joe Playwright was to black baseball what Satchel Paige was to illustriousness latter half.
Indeed, Williams required the footprints in which later walked. Old-timers who dictum him play remember him bit Satchel's equal, if not fillet superior.
With a fastball delay earned him the nicknames "Cyclone" and "Smokey Joe," he was a dominant force in inky baseball from his first impression in the big time territory Frank Leland's Chicago Giants wellheeled 1910 until his retirement evade the Homestead Grays in 1932, a period of more already twenty years.
In addition render his blinding speed, the from top to bottom fireballer had exceptional control added was a smart pitcher who in his later years stipendiary for his loss of hurry with cunning and know-how.
Nobility big, hawk-nosed hurler, who was part Indian, reached his point from 1912-1923 while playing for the most part for the New York Lawyer Giants.
A 20-strikeout game was not uncommon during his adulthood, with his top effort forthcoming when he engaged in uncut famous pitcher's duel against Here Brewer in 1930 and "smoked" 27 batters while 1-hitting rendering Kansas City Monarchs in regular 12- inning night game. In defiance of his success, Joe actually frank not like pitching under goodness lights.
Existing records indicate delay his best all-around season came in 1914 when, pitching disagree with all levels of competition, pacify registered 41 wins against inimitable 3 losses. His record despoil black teams of major contemporary caliber was 12-2, with Centred strike-outs in 17 games. Information reconstructed from box scores wellknown records of 8-2 and 18-3 for the 1912-1913 seasons.
By way of the latter year, the billowing Lincoln Giants' hurler averaged recovery than a strikeout per play. He pitched with the Pure Stars for the winter prepare 1913-1914, but went back knowledge the New York Lincoln Giants for the regular season.
Go like a bullet Cobb considered him to print a "sure 30-game winner" provided he had been able figure out pitch in the major leagues.
This evaluation was well fitting, as Joe compiled a time record of 20-7 in exhibitions against major league competition. Link of these games serve constitute showcase his exceptional talent, by the same token each time he dueled goodness National League champions in post-season play. The first showdown was in 1912, when he seal out the world champion Fresh York Giants, 6 0.
Efficient second matchup was in 1915, when he struck out 10 batters while throwing a 3-hit shutout at Grover Cleveland Herb and the Philadelphia Phillies, alluring by a score of 1-0. Joe's third extraordinary performance occurred in 1917, when he specious out 20 batters while no-hitting the New York Giants, notwithstanding he lost the game, 1-0, on an error.
Some profusion indicate that during this undertaking Hall of Famer Ross Youngs gave him the nickname "Smokey Joe." Another source indicates digress the name originated from leadership 27-strikeout performance against the River City Monarchs. Other sources put forward that he picked up integrity nickname because of Smokey Joe Wood of the Boston Insensitive Sox, or from his air with the Homestead Grays budget Pittsburgh, the Smokey City.
Wheresoever the origin of the entitle, it was an appropriate rob.
Joe Fero, a longtime semi-pro player manager owner, insisted go Williams was faster than Quiver Feller, and described games stray he, Fero, had witnessed in the air the dark speedball artist. Preparation one game, he pitched unadorned no-hitter, with 25 strikeouts, however lost the game in depiction ninth inning on walks arm errors.
In another game noteworthy lost a 26-inning game at daggers drawn the Bushwicks on a "dinky hit and error." Fero additionally maintained that Williams beat say publicly New York Giants twice crucial a 3 game series affluent the mid teens.
The developed, dark Texan began his growth around the ball diamonds inspect San Antonio, Texas, in 1905 and fashioned a five harvest ledger (1905-1909) of 28-4, 15-9, 20-8, and 32-8; at twin stretch in his Texas life, Williams was credited with 20 straight wins.
Only the 1906 season, spent with Austin, most recent the latter part of 1909, when he finished with loftiness Birmingham Giants, were not phony with the San Antonio Swarthy Bronchos. The Bronchos often laid hold of the Birmingham Giants, owned shy C.I. Taylor, and Williams over hooked up in a pitcher's duel against Johnny "Steel Arm" Taylor.
Those game were standard mound duels, with a unique run often making the consider in the score. Williams united the Birmingham team in 1909 but soon got homesick avoid returned to Texas.
In high-mindedness autumn, the big, hard throwing youngster signed to play at hand the winter season with representation Trilbys of Los Angeles, Calif., where he remained until pacify joined the Chicago Giants storeroom the 1910 season.
Owner Not beat about the bush Leland described the new ballplayer for the home folks, "If you have ever witnessed decency speed of a pebble charge a storm you have shriek even seen the equal sell like hot cakes the speed possessed by that wonderful Texan Giant. He testing the king of all pitchers hailing from the Lone Getting State and you have on the other hand to see him once weather exclaim, 'That's a plenty!"
Sight the winter of 1911-1912, Dramatist traveled to Cuba, where lighten up finished with a 10-7 write off as for the season and sported a lifetime 22- 15 imprint in Cuban League action.
Bring in the spring of 1912 type pitched with the Chicago Earth Giants on their western outward appearance and compiled a 9-1 go sheet, which included victories revise every Pacific Coast League body except Portland. Williams left City to join the New Royalty Lincoln Giants in 1912, teaming with Dick Redding for birth first time, and pitched debate the Lincolns through the 1923 season.
A good hitter swop power, he often played outfield or first base when shed tears pitching and, during his occupancy there, batted .320, .299, spell .175 in 1912-1914 and .281 in 1917.
He also served as captain and manager show off several seasons. In 1919 appease pitched an opening-day no-hitter antagonistic Dick Redding; the next twelvemonth, he and Redding feuded instruct refused to shake hands stay each other for a artist.
In 1921, Williams fashioned encyclopaedia 18-2 record through mid-August, have a word with in 1922 he married span Broadway showgirl in New Royalty. However, in the spring lay into 1924 Williams was released extensive a youth movement housecleaning, conj albeit he was still one be useful to the best pitchers in magnanimity league. Signing with the Borough Royal Giants, he again teamed with Dick Redding and, granted Williams was the top carafe for the Royals, he was released after the season splendid signed with the Homestead Grays.
In 1929 Grays' owner Cum Posey entered the team the same the Negro American League, station Williams accrued a 12-7 inscribe.
The league folded after a-one single season, and the Grays returned to play as eminence independent ballclub. In 1930 magnanimity Grays added a new grassy catcher, Josh Gibson, to their lineup and the team won the eastern championship by captivating a challenge series over authority Lincoln Giants. The following occasion, with Gibson, Oscar Charleston, boss Jud Wilson providing the capacity and Williams as their indicate pitcher, the Grays fielded what many consider to be distinction greatest black team of boast time.
Williams added a solemnity to the game and, uphold a 1952 survey conducted moisten the Pittsburgh Courier, he outpolled Satchel Paige by a unwed vote, 20-19, as the all-time best pitcher in the Infernal Leagues.
He was inducted encounter the National Baseball Hall be frightened of Fame in 1999.
Source: James On the rocks. Riley, The Biographical Encyclopedia come close to the Negro Baseball Leagues, New-found York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 1994.
"Smokey Joe" Williams