Willie C. Williams
Nickname: Curley
Career: 1945-1950
Positions: 3b, ss , 2b, of
Teams: Newark Eagles (1945-1948), Houston Eagles (1949-1950), New Orleans Eagles (1951), minor leagues (1951-1953)
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Height: 5' 10'' Weight: 175
Born: May 25, 1925, Orangeburg, South Carolina
This Newark Eagles' infielder had disparate seasons in 1945 and 1947, with batting and slugging averages of .333 and .621 in 1945 compared to .215 and .280 in 1947. In 1948 the little infielder was the regular shortstop for the Eagles, batting second in the order. While adequate afield, he was a light hitter and not a good base runner.
When the Eagles moved to Houston he compiled averages of .290 and .292 in 1949-50, with a slugging percentage of .488 the latter year. In 1951 he entered organized baseball, with Colorado Springs, hitting .297, and then split the next year between Toledo in the American Association (.234) and Scranton in the Eastern League (.268). His last season was with Carman in the Mandak League in 1953, where he hit .286 with 12 home runs.
Baseball Career Highlights:
"I hit seven home runs in six games. I also enjoyed being in the company of baseball players like Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson and Charley Pride."
Professional/Personal Accomplishments:
"I took courses at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and became a pathology assistant. I worked there until retiring in 1990."
Awards, Honors, Titles, Championships,
Schools, Colleges:
• "Curley Williams Day" in Sarasota, Florida, (in honor of
Williams' efforts to provide college scholarships for needy
students through the Curly Williams Foundation) - 1997
• Florida Marlins' Award
• Florida State Capitol Honors
Sources:
NLBM Legacy 2000 Players' Reunion Alumni Book, Kansas City Missouri: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Inc., 2000.
James A. Riley, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues, New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 1994.
Willie Williams