Today marks the 58th birthday of former Blue Jays pitcher Woody Williams.
I’ll admit, I often confuse Woody Williams with Chris Carpenter. Both left the Blue Jays and eventually landed in St. Louis—Williams with a stop in San Diego along the way. They each found greater success with the Cardinals (though Carpenter excelled even more), and they were teammates during their time there.
Woody was a 28th-round draft pick in 1988 out of the University of Houston (Joey Hamilton was chosen a few spots earlier
by the Orioles in the same round). Expectations were likely modest, but he excelled in the minors. In May 1993, the Blue Jays called him up to help in the bullpen, where he pitched in 30 games with a 4.38 ERA.
He spent the next couple of seasons in the back of the bullpen. Then, in August 1996, he finally got his chance in the rotation. Paul Quantrill began the season as a starter, but was moved to the bullpen. With Marty Janzen and Huck Flener struggling, Williams earned a shot. He made 10 starts, going 4-5 with a 4.35 ERA.
The following season, Williams spent a full year in the rotation, finishing 9-14 with a 4.35 ERA. Over 31 starts, he pitched 194.1 innings, allowing 201 hits and 31 home runs (during the height of the PED era), with 66 walks and 124 strikeouts. While not spectacular, he held his own as the third starter behind Roger Clemens and Pat Hentgen. The game has changed a lot in the past twenty years—back then, Woody was a reliable third starter who nearly reached 200 innings.
In 1997, Williams went 10-9 with a 4.46 ERA. Over 32 starts, he pitched 209.2 innings, allowing 196 hits, 36 home runs, 81 walks, and recording 151 strikeouts.
Then came the trade—or, more accurately, the infamous trade. Williams and a few minor leaguers were sent to San Diego for Joey Hamilton. GM Gord Ash trusted the advice of newly hired assistant GM Dave Stewart, who had played with Hamilton and claimed to see star potential in him. Ash signed Hamilton to a three-year, $16.5 million contract (a hefty sum at the time), but Hamilton delivered a disappointing 14-17 record with a 5.83 ERA.
Williams went on to have a solid career. He spent five seasons with the Padres, posting a 51-45 record and a 4.32 ERA. The Padres later traded him to the Cardinals, where he flourished—going 45-22 with a 3.53 ERA over four seasons. His standout year was 2003, when he finished 18-9 with a 3.87 ERA in 34 games (33 starts).
As a Blue Jay, he compiled a 28-34 record with a 4.30 ERA over 166 games (76 starts). Overall, he finished his MLB career with a 132-116 record and a 4.19 ERA in 424 games, 330 of them starts. How many 28th-round picks can claim a career like that?
I read that he occasionally threw a knuckleball, though I don’t recall ever seeing it.
According to Wikipedia, Woody has five children and lives in Alvin, Texas.
Happy birthday, Woody. Hope it’s a great one.
Also celebrating birthdays today:
- Luis Gómez turns 73 today. He spent two seasons with the Blue Jays (1978–1979), playing shortstop in 1978 and serving as a utility infielder the following year. Gómez hit .227/.276/.282 in 212 games and played eight MLB seasons with the Twins, Jays, and Braves.
- Jeff Tam turns 54 today. In 2003, he appeared in 44 relief games for the Jays, marking the end of his six-year MLB career. Tam posted a 5.64 ERA and allowed opponents a .314/.396/.465 batting line. Most of his career was spent with the A’s, though he also played for the Mets and Cleveland.
