| Lefty Williams | |
|---|---|
 Williams in 1916 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1893-03-09)March 9, 1893 Aurora, Missouri, U.S. | |
| Died: November 4, 1959(1959-11-04) (aged 66) Laguna Beach, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 17, 1913, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 25, 1920, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 82–48 |
| Earned run average | 3.13 |
| Strikeouts | 515 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Claude Preston "Lefty"Williams (March 9, 1893 – November 4, 1959) was an Americanpitcher inMajor League Baseball. He is probably best known for his involvement in the1919 World Series fix, known as theBlack Sox Scandal.
Williams was born inAurora, Missouri, to William and Mary Williams.[1] He began his major league career on September 17, 1913, with theDetroit Tigers.
Williams' breakthrough season came in 1915, while with theSalt Lake City Bees of thePacific Coast League. That year, he pitched 418.2 innings, leading the league in wins (33) andstrikeouts (294), while featuring mostly his mid-90sfastball and swooping curve. His contract was then purchased by theChicago White Sox.[1]
With the White Sox, Williams settled into the starting rotation and helped the team win the pennant in 1917, going 17–8. After spending 1918 working inNavy shipyards, he came back strong in 1919 with his greatest performance, going 23–11 with a 2.64earned run average. The White Sox again won theAmerican League pennant. However, before that year'sWorld Series, he was involved in the Black Sox Scandal when teammateChick Gandil offered him $10,000 tolose his starts. Williams only received $5,000, half of what he was promised, a sum that was still almost double his 1919 salary of $2,600.
In the series, Williams went 0–3, with an earned run average of 6.63. His three losses were a World Series record.[1] That was equaled in the 1981 Series whenGeorge Frazier lost three games.Eight Men Out authorEliot Asinof wrote that Williams eventually turned against the fix as he prepared for his final Series start; Asinof later admitted that this particular anecdote was made up.[1]
In 1920, Williams went 22–14, but was caught up in the indictments handed down that autumn. Though acquitted by a jury, Williams and the seven other "Black Sox" were banned from organized baseball byCommissionerKenesaw Mountain Landis.
Afterwards, Williams barnstormed and played in outlaw leagues for a few years,[2] and he played briefly for the Fort Bayard Veterans team inNew Mexico which was part of the Copper League or Cactus League. He supposedly took to drinking heavily. It was reported that the between-inning "nips" made him an intimidating pitcher to the batters.
Williams is listed as a manager of theAnaheim/San Bernardino Valencias for part of the 1948 season of the Class-C Sunset League.
Williams spent his later years inLaguna Beach, California where he died in 1959, operating a garden nursery business.[3]
Williams was portrayed by actorJames Read in the 1988 filmEight Men Out.
Williams was reinstated by CommissionerRob Manfred on May 13, 2025 along with other deceased players who were on the ineligible list.
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