Jeff Williams
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Francis Williams (born 6 June 1972 in Canberra, Australia) is an Australia
n-born, left-handed
pitcher
who was best known for playing for the Hanshin Tigers
baseball team. He is a specialist set-up pitcher, or closer
.
in Atlanta, Georgia
. The team placed 7th overall in the competition.
Williams again pitched for the Australian Olympic baseball team in the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece. The Australian team was awarded the Silver Medal in the competition after losing in the final to the team from Cuba
. Willams was credited with two saves during the tournament, including the semi-final game against Japan
where he prevented the Japanese team from scoring, preserving the 1-0 win.
by the Los Angeles Dodgers
in . Williams began his Major League Baseball
career in September with the Los Angeles Dodgers and pitched for the Dodgers until September . While with the Dodgers in and , the tandem of Williams and fellow Australian Luke Prokopec
gained considerable popularity in the Los Angeles
area. However, the attention was short lived, as both moved on to other franchises.
In , Williams signed with the Hanshin Tigers, and earned 25 saves as a closer (52 games), helping the Tigers win their first Central League
championship in 18 years.
In , he pitched in 51 games, earning 14 saves. In , he reverted to the role of set-up pitcher appearing in 75 games for the Hanshin Tigers, who won the championship.
Williams pitched for the Tigers for another 3 years, and his most recent contract was signed in 2008, which was a 2 year contract. He was likely one of the longest "foreign" (Note: Foreign player here means non-Japanese players who neither entered through draft nor obtaining FA right.) players in Tiger's history.
His performance in set-up pitching, combined with his set-up and closing pitcher teammate Kyuji Fujikawa
and Tomoyuki Kubota
, were well known by fans and other teams. Their formation was given the nickname JFK by their team, taking their initials with their pitching order (Jeff, Fujikawa, Kubota). The formation was one important element boosting Hanshin's countless victories, even though they had a poor starting pitcher line (Hanshin's starting pitcher's team ERA in 2007 was 4.45, the worst in the league
, but their overall ERA was 3.56, best in the league)
After his retirement, Williams signed with the Tigers as a scout on 2 March 2011.
in Hammond
, Louisiana
, from 1992 to 1996. In his senior year, Williams was selected as an NCAA Division I All-American; that year he registered 125 strikeouts and 12 wins. In 2004, he was inducted into the SLU Lions Hall of Fame.
for Major League Baseball
. In the report, Kirk Radomski
claims he sold the steroids Anavar and Dianabol to Williams. The document includes a photocopy of a February 2004 check from Williams to Radomski in the amount of $1,820 and mentions that Williams address and phone number were in Radomski's address book. Williams did not respond to a request to meet with Mitchell to address these accusations.
After the Mitchell Report became public, Hanshin Tigers
club president Nobuo Minami defended Williams stating
In Olympic competition and while playing in Japan, where they conform with Olympic testing standards, Williams has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-born, left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who was best known for playing for the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
baseball team. He is a specialist set-up pitcher, or closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
.
Olympics
Williams pitched for the Australian Olympic baseball team in the 1996 Summer Olympics1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. The team placed 7th overall in the competition.
Williams again pitched for the Australian Olympic baseball team in the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, Greece. The Australian team was awarded the Silver Medal in the competition after losing in the final to the team from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Willams was credited with two saves during the tournament, including the semi-final game against Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where he prevented the Japanese team from scoring, preserving the 1-0 win.
Professional career
Williams was signed as an undrafted free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in . Williams began his Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
career in September with the Los Angeles Dodgers and pitched for the Dodgers until September . While with the Dodgers in and , the tandem of Williams and fellow Australian Luke Prokopec
Luke Prokopec
Kenneth Luke Prokopec is an Australian-born, right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays....
gained considerable popularity in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area. However, the attention was short lived, as both moved on to other franchises.
In , Williams signed with the Hanshin Tigers, and earned 25 saves as a closer (52 games), helping the Tigers win their first Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
championship in 18 years.
In , he pitched in 51 games, earning 14 saves. In , he reverted to the role of set-up pitcher appearing in 75 games for the Hanshin Tigers, who won the championship.
Williams pitched for the Tigers for another 3 years, and his most recent contract was signed in 2008, which was a 2 year contract. He was likely one of the longest "foreign" (Note: Foreign player here means non-Japanese players who neither entered through draft nor obtaining FA right.) players in Tiger's history.
His performance in set-up pitching, combined with his set-up and closing pitcher teammate Kyuji Fujikawa
Kyuji Fujikawa
is a closer for the Hanshin Tigers.Fujikawa pitched in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympics. A prototypical power pitcher, Fujikawa is said to have one of the most explosive fastballs in all of Japanese professional baseball and is one of Japan's premier...
and Tomoyuki Kubota
Tomoyuki Kubota
is a Japanese pitcher with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He was selected as a member in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.-External links:...
, were well known by fans and other teams. Their formation was given the nickname JFK by their team, taking their initials with their pitching order (Jeff, Fujikawa, Kubota). The formation was one important element boosting Hanshin's countless victories, even though they had a poor starting pitcher line (Hanshin's starting pitcher's team ERA in 2007 was 4.45, the worst in the league
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
, but their overall ERA was 3.56, best in the league)
After his retirement, Williams signed with the Tigers as a scout on 2 March 2011.
Collegiate career
Williams played college ball for Southeastern Louisiana UniversitySoutheastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
in Hammond
Hammond, Louisiana
Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, from 1992 to 1996. In his senior year, Williams was selected as an NCAA Division I All-American; that year he registered 125 strikeouts and 12 wins. In 2004, he was inducted into the SLU Lions Hall of Fame.
Mitchell Report
On 13 December 2007, Williams was named as a player linked to performance enhancing drug use in the Mitchell ReportMitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
for Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. In the report, Kirk Radomski
Kirk Radomski
Kirk J. Radomski is a former batboy and clubhouse employee for the New York Mets Major League Baseball team from 1985–1995, who on April 27, 2007 pleaded guilty in United States district court to money laundering and illegal distribution of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, Clenbuterol,...
claims he sold the steroids Anavar and Dianabol to Williams. The document includes a photocopy of a February 2004 check from Williams to Radomski in the amount of $1,820 and mentions that Williams address and phone number were in Radomski's address book. Williams did not respond to a request to meet with Mitchell to address these accusations.
After the Mitchell Report became public, Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
club president Nobuo Minami defended Williams stating
"I trust him, He (Williams) flatly denied the use of any banned substances and said he is ready to accept fresh checkups at any time."
In Olympic competition and while playing in Japan, where they conform with Olympic testing standards, Williams has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.
External links
- Historical Player Stats from MLB.com, Jeff Williams
- "Jeff William's Baseball Stats", Baseball Almanac.