Claude Preston "Lefty" Williams (March 9, 1893 – November 4, 1959) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 World Series fix, known as the Black Sox Scandal.
Career
Williams was born in Aurora, Missouri, to William and Mary Williams. He began his major league career on September 17, 1913, with the Detroit Tigers.
Williams' breakthrough season came in 1915, while with the Salt Lake City Bees of the Pacific Coast League. That year, he pitched 418.2 innings, leading the league in wins (33) and strikeouts (294), while featuring mostly his mid-90s fastball and swooping curve. His contract was then purchased by the Chicago White Sox. and he played briefly for the Fort Bayard Veterans team in New 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 the Anaheim/San Bernardino Valencias for part of the 1948 season of the Class-C Sunset League.
Williams spent his later years in Laguna Beach, California where he died in 1959, operating a garden nursery business.
Williams was portrayed by actor James Read in the 1988 film Eight Men Out.
Williams was reinstated by Commissioner Rob Manfred on May 13, 2025 along with other deceased players who were on the ineligible list.
See also
- List of people banned from Major League Baseball
- List of Chicago White Sox team records