Charlie Williams (umpire) facts for kids
Charles "Charlie" Herman Williams (born December 20, 1943 – died September 10, 2005) was a famous American baseball umpire. He worked in the National League from 1978 to 1999. Later, he umpired in both the National and American Leagues until 2001.
Charlie Williams made history in baseball. He was the fourth African American person to become a full-time umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). In 1985, he became the first Black umpire to work at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He also broke new ground in 1993. That year, he was the first African American umpire to call balls and strikes behind home plate in a World Series game. His uniform number was 25.
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Early Life and Sports Career
Charlie Williams was born in Denver, Colorado. He went to George Washington High School. He was a very talented football player. He even became an All-America player at Long Beach City College. Later, he attended California State University, Los Angeles.
Memorable Moments as an Umpire
Charlie Williams was part of many exciting baseball moments.
Rookie Season Highlights
In his first year as an umpire in 1978, Williams was at third base. This was during Tom Seaver's only no-hitter game on June 16. A no-hitter is when a pitcher doesn't allow any hits during a full game.
Famous Ejections
Williams was the only umpire ever to eject baseball star Steve Garvey from a game. This happened in 1986 and was widely reported by the media.
The David Cone Incident
In 1990, Williams was the first base umpire in a game. It was between the Mets and the Braves. Mets pitcher David Cone thought time was called. He argued with Williams about a play. While Cone was distracted, two Braves runners scored. This became a well-known moment in baseball history.
World Series and Perfect Games
Williams was the home plate umpire for a very long game. It was Game 4 of the 1993 World Series. The game lasted over four hours! The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies 15–14.
He was also the first base umpire on June 3, 1995. This was when Pedro Martínez pitched nine perfect innings. A perfect inning means no batter reaches base. Martínez gave up a hit in the 10th inning.
Disputes on the Field
In 1999, Williams had another notable moment. Mets coach Cookie Rojas pushed him after a call. Rojas disagreed with Williams' "foul ball" call. Rojas was suspended for five games because of this.
Other Important Games
Williams umpired in other major baseball events. He worked the All-Star games in 1985 and 1995. He also umpired in the 1989 National League Championship Series. This series was between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs. He also worked the 1997 National League Championship Series and the 1999 National League Division Series.
On September 28, 1988, Williams was an umpire when Orel Hershiser set a Major League record. Hershiser pitched many innings without giving up any runs.
Retirement and Legacy
Charlie Williams retired from umpiring in 2001. He retired due to health problems. He passed away at age 61 in Chicago, Illinois. He had been ill for a long time.
Personal Life
Charlie Williams was the uncle of former Major League catcher Lenny Webster.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball umpires
