Joe Williams
Inducted:
1999
Player Stats
6-4, 190 lb
190cm, 86kg
Born
April 6, 1886
Seguin, Texas, U.S.
Died
February 25, 1951
New York City, New York, U.S.
Position
Pitcher
College
NA
Joseph “Smokey Joe” Williams was one of the most dominant pitchers in Negro Leagues history. A powerful right-hander from Seguin, Texas, he became famous for his blazing fastball, excellent control, and ability to overpower opposing hitters. His career spanned more than two decades, during which he starred for teams including the New York Lincoln Giants and Homestead Grays.
Williams was particularly successful against elite Negro Leagues competition and also defeated several prominent white Major League players in exhibition games. One of his most remarkable performances came in 1930, when he struck out 27 Kansas City Monarchs batters over 12 innings while allowing only one hit. A 1952 poll of Black sportswriters and baseball experts selected him as the greatest pitcher in Negro Leagues history.
Williams was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.
Williams' Awards and Honors
- Selected as the greatest pitcher in Negro Leagues history in a 1952 Pittsburgh Courier poll
- Texas Sports Hall of Fame Inductee (2016)
- One of the most feared pitchers of the early 20th century
- Defeated prominent Major League players in exhibition games
- Struck out 27 Kansas City Monarchs batters over 12 innings, allowing just one hit in a 1–0 victory
MLB Teams
New York Lincoln Giants (1911–1923)
Brooklyn Royal Giants (1924)
Homestead Grays (1925–1932)
Detroit Wolves (1932)
MLB Stats
Career:
1907-1932
Season:
4
Games:
54
Wins:
16
Losses:
19
Shutouts:
1
Saves:
2
Innings Pitched:
364.1
Hits:
391
Runs:
196
Earned Runs:
143
Walks:
71
Strikeouts:
201
ERA:
3.51