RIP Walt Williams

[MC63]

Sad news for Sox fans ... Walt "No Neck" Williams died January 23rd in Brownwood, Texas.

He had my favorite baseball nickname of all time.

Walt was a member of the famous "No" outfield: Carlos May, Walt Williams and Jay Johnstone: (No Thumb, No Neck and No Brains.)

This was likely a version of Harry Caray's line, which substituted Pat Kelly (No Arm) for Johnstone.

While Williams was with Cleveland, he broke up a no-hitter by Stan Bahnsen in the ninth inning.

He was a little guy with a lot of spunk

 

[brickben]

A .270 career hitter in the 60's and early 70's? He would have been a millionaire many times over in today's game.

 

[GMAN81]

Number 3. As a kid I saw him play some games in those old red pinstripe White Sox uniforms. I noticed that every time he would run in from the outfield he would step on third base on his way into the dugout. Just something a kid would notice.

About 15 years ago...I guess..I got the chance to meet him and talk to him. Some friends and I were at an independent league game at a DII college. Williams was the manager of the visiting team. Somewhere around the 3rd or 4th inning a call was made on the field that went against his team. He went running out there yelling at the umps. Before long he got tossed. There really was nowhere for him to go except the bus.

So, he asked the umps if he could sit in the bleachers. They told him he could as long as he kept quiet. So, he started to make his way up and my friends and I called him over. So, he came over and sat with us for the rest of the game. He was still pissed when he got up there. But he settled down and we even bought him a few beers to enjoy. There was, maybe, 200 people at that game.

Before long he was having a good time with us. Of course by then his team was beating the hell out of the home team. The thing that struck me was that he was so humbled that we knew so much about him as a player. I guess he thought people had forgotten him. He told us some things about the Sox and Yankees. Then we asked him the question. "Who is the best player you ever saw?" Without hesitation he said Willie Mays. Enough said. A nicer guy you couldn't meet. Very sad news, for sure.