Mike Williams (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Michael Darren "Mike" Williams (born July 29, 1968 in Radford, Virginia
) is a former Major League Baseball
right-handed relief pitcher
who had a 12 year career with the Philadelphia Phillies
, Kansas City Royals
, Houston Astros
and the Pittsburgh Pirates
from to .
Williams was a two-time National League
All-Star in and . In 2002, he finished third in the N.L. with 46 saves. In his career, he posted a record of 32-54 with 144 saves and a 4.45 ERA. When he was selected to the 2003 All-Star game, he set the record for being the pitcher with the highest ERA while making an All-Star team. He still remains the only pitcher to play in an All-Star game while having an ERA of over 6.00 during the same regular season.
One of Williams's most famous games was with the Phillies on July 7, 1993 versus the Los Angeles Dodgers
, in which he was brought in as a reliever in the 14th inning, pitched five shut-out innings, gave up a single run in the top of the 20th inning, but subsequently won the game after the Phillies loaded the bases in the bottom of the 20th and Lenny Dykstra
hit a double.
Williams grew up in Giles County in southwestern Virginia. After he retired, he returned to Giles County and helped with many charities. He is a big contributor to Relay for Life (a cancer foundation) in Giles County.
Radford, Virginia
Radford is a city in Virginia, United States. The population was 16,408 in 2010. For statistical purposes, the Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Radford with neighboring Montgomery County, including the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg, calling the combination the...
) is a former 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...
right-handed relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
who had a 12 year career with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
and the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
from to .
Williams was a two-time National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
All-Star in and . In 2002, he finished third in the N.L. with 46 saves. In his career, he posted a record of 32-54 with 144 saves and a 4.45 ERA. When he was selected to the 2003 All-Star game, he set the record for being the pitcher with the highest ERA while making an All-Star team. He still remains the only pitcher to play in an All-Star game while having an ERA of over 6.00 during the same regular season.
One of Williams's most famous games was with the Phillies on July 7, 1993 versus 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 which he was brought in as a reliever in the 14th inning, pitched five shut-out innings, gave up a single run in the top of the 20th inning, but subsequently won the game after the Phillies loaded the bases in the bottom of the 20th and Lenny Dykstra
Lenny Dykstra
Leonard Kyle "Lenny" Dykstra , nicknamed "Nails" and "Dude", is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. Dykstra played for the New York Mets during the late 1980s before playing for the Philadelphia Phillies during the early 1990s....
hit a double.
Williams grew up in Giles County in southwestern Virginia. After he retired, he returned to Giles County and helped with many charities. He is a big contributor to Relay for Life (a cancer foundation) in Giles County.