Was Cy Williams one of the greatest hitters nobody ever heard of? This is just one of many questions examined by author Gary Williams, including, should Williams be in the Baseball Hall of Fame? Unquestionably, Williams was a rarity from the Golden age of baseball, having studied architecture at Notre Dame. Williams would complete his degree at a time when few major league players could make the same claim.
While at Notre Dame, Williams competed in four sports. He excelled at track and baseball, but also played basketball and football. While at Notre Dame, he became friends with Knute Rockne. Rockne encouraged Williams to continue to play football, but he only played one season to focus on his preferred sports, and even passed up an Olympic opportunity. Williams agreed to join the Chicago Cubs, but while still at Notre Dame, Cy managed the university’s baseballs squad.
The author does a solid job establishing how the game of baseball has changed since Cy Williams rounded the bases. For example, Williams earned his first home run crown in 1916 with just 12 home runs. Williams would go on to capture four home run crowns, earning his last at age 39, which is still a record today. Williams retired at age 42, having played for a record 14 different managers.
I found it hard to believe that Williams played on 16 straight losing seasons, playing on one of the worst teams of the era – the Philadelphia Phillies. Williams played a majority of his career for one of the most notorious tightwad owners – William Baker. Baker would seasonally traded off or sell the contract of his best players. The author describes the ballpark Baker named after himself, and addresses the criticism Williams receives due to the stadiums dimensions.
An interesting question posed by the author, would Williams be better remembered had he played for the New York Yankees? The prominent team of the era. Since Williams played for losing teams, he never had the opportunity to compete for the world series. Gary Williams also does a superb job comparing Cy’s body of work against hall of famers, such as Rogers Hornsby, a star hitter from his era. I agree with the author’s conclusion that Cy Williams would bring honor to the hall of fame in Cooperstownm New York.
The author certainly did his homework and research on Cy Williams. He shares many interesting stories packed with stats. Hats off to Ward Paxton, who hits a home run with his narration. If you are a baseball fan, you will definitely enjoy this book!
By: Gary Williams
Narrated by: Ward Paxton
Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
Release date: 08-22-23
Publisher: Gary Williams