Marvin Williams (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marvin Williams |
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| Second baseman | |||
| Born: February 12, 1920 Houston, Texas |
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| Died: December 23, 2000 (aged 80) Conroe, Texas |
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| debut | |||
| 1943, for the Philadelphia Stars | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1961, for the Victoria Rosebuds | |||
| Teams | |||
Negro leagues
Minor League
Mexican League
Mexican Pacific League
Cuban Winter League
Puerto Rican League
Venezuelan Winter League
Winter International League
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Marvin Williams (born February 12, 1920 – died December 23, 2000) was an American baseball player. He played as a second baseman. Williams was 6 feet tall and weighed about 190 pounds. He batted and threw with his right hand. Marvin was born in Houston, Texas.
Even though he never played in Major League Baseball, Williams had a long 19-year career. He started in 1943 in the Negro leagues. His baseball journey took him to play in many countries. He played in Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Later, he returned to the United States to play for Minor League Baseball teams. He retired in 1961.
Marvin Williams achieved many great things in his career. He won two titles for the best batting average. He also won two home run titles. On top of that, he earned two Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. Williams was often one of the top players in many stats. These included home runs, doubles, runs batted in, and runs scored.
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Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Marvin Williams grew up in Houston, Texas. He started playing semi-pro baseball in Texas towns. These towns included Baytown and Conroe. In 1943, Williams joined a special team. This team traveled around to play exhibition games. This is called a barnstorming team.
During this tour, a scout from the Negro leagues noticed Williams. The scout was very impressed. He offered Williams a contract to play in the league. This was the start of his professional baseball career.
Playing in the Negro Leagues
Marvin Williams was called "Tex" by his teammates. He began his career with the Philadelphia Stars. He played for them from 1943 to 1945. During these three years, he had excellent batting averages. He hit .394, .365, and .325 in those seasons. Overall, he had a .363 batting average in 248 games. In 1944, he was chosen to play in the East–West All-Star Game. This was a very important game for Negro league players.
After his time in the Negro leagues, Williams had a tryout. He was invited to Fenway Park in 1945. This was the home of the Boston Red Sox. A sportswriter named Wendell Smith suggested him. Sam Jethroe and Jackie Robinson also tried out. However, none of them were offered a contract. At that time, the Red Sox were not ready to have Black players on their team.
Baseball Adventures in Other Countries
After the Red Sox tryout, Williams went to play in the Mexican League. This was in the summer of 1945. He played for the Diablos Rojos del México. He continued to hit very well there.
Williams also played baseball during the winter. He played for the Sabios de Vargas team in Venezuela. This was in 1946 and 1947. In 1946, he hit .329. He led the league in RBI (41) and runs (29). He also set a record with eight RBI in one game. He hit two home runs and two singles in that game. He also played in Puerto Rico for the Leones de Ponce.
In late 1947, Williams played briefly in the Cuban League. He joined the Leones del Habana team. He hit .286 in 10 games there.
Williams returned to the Mexican League in 1948. He hit .328 with 14 home runs and 57 RBI for the Rojos. He also led the league with 11 triples. Besides the Rojos, he played for the Charros de Jalisco and Tigres del México. He spent four winters playing in Mexico. He played for the Cañeros de Los Mochis in the Mexican Pacific League.
In his first game with Los Mochis, Williams hit the first home run ever in the Emilio Ibarra Almada Stadium. He also set a league record that season. He hit 17 home runs in 60 games.
Minor League Success and Management
Marvin Williams came back to the United States in 1950. He played for the Sacramento Solons and the Cleveland Buckeyes. His best season was in 1952. He hit an amazing .401 with 45 home runs and 131 RBI. He played for the Chihuahua Dorados in the Arizona–Texas League. He led the league in batting average, home runs, and slugging average. He also had more walks (117) than strikeouts (34). During this season, he became the team's temporary manager. This made him one of the first Black managers in Minor League history.
In 1954, Williams played in Canada. He had another great season with the Vancouver Capilanos. He led the Western International League with a .360 batting average. He was also second in home runs (20) and hits (160). In 1955, he played for the Columbia Gems and the Seattle Rainiers. He hit a combined .303 with 21 home runs and 106 RBI. That winter, he played in Mexico again for the Mayos de Navojoa. He hit .347 with 11 home runs. He also had a game where he achieved a hitting for the cycle. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game. He earned the MVP Award that season.
From 1956 to 1958, Williams played for the Tulsa Oilers in the Texas League. He averaged .291 with 18 home runs and 92 RBI. In 1956, he was among the top players in many stats. He had a .322 batting average and 26 home runs. He also had 111 RBI and 102 runs. This earned him his second MVP Award.
In 1959, Williams returned to the Texas League. He played for the Victoria Rosebuds. He was mostly used as a pinch hitter. He then went back to the Mexican League. He played for the Diablos Rojos and Tigres. In 109 games, he hit .310 with 29 home runs. He also led the league with 109 RBI.
For his final years, Williams played in Texas. He played for the Rosebuds, Rio Grande Valley Giants, and San Antonio Missions. This was from 1960 to 1961. In 1960, he hit .279 with 17 home runs. In 1961, he hit .277 with 10 home runs and 71 RBI. He ended his professional baseball career at age 41.
Personal Life
After retiring from baseball, Marvin Williams worked at Sears Roebuck. He worked there for 20 years. He spent the first ten years in Virginia. Then he moved to Conroe, Texas, and worked there. In his free time, he coached Little League Baseball teams.
Marvin Williams had two sons, Marvin Jr. and Billy. Their mother was Gloria Pacheco. Marvin Williams lived a quiet life with his family in Conroe. He passed away in 2000 when he was 80 years old.
