"Brownie Stalwart of the 20s" said his obituary in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. For those with long memories, Ken Williams was one of the cherished, lamented, never-quite-made-it team that finished a game behind the Yankee pennant-winners of 1922. He and the Browns had their best year together. A well-built six-footer who batted left and threw right, Williams led the league in home runs (39) and RBI (155) that year, hit .337 and stole 37 bases. This made him the first player ever to hit 30 home runs, steal 30 bases and hit .300. In one game he swatted three homers, in another, two in one inning; in between he had six in as many consecutive games. He had a pleasant, gap-toothed smile and was popular with teammates and fans.

Born and raised in Grants Pass, OR, Ken was the small-town boy who made it to the big leagues. He was the only ballplayer among six brothers whose mother had been a logging-camp cook and later operated an all-night restaurant serving the train crews when Grants Pass was a junction point on the railroad.

It took him a while to make it. After a two-year trial with Cincinnati, he was returned to the high minors, spent most of 1918 in the military, and began to see action wioth the Browns in 1919. The following year the club put together its finest outfield, with Ken in left, Baby Doll Jacobson in center, and Jack Tobin in right. Williams's numbers were always respectable, if not outstanding. In 1925, although he missed some games after being skulled by a pitch, he led the league with a slugging percentage of .613.

The Browns sold him to Boston, where he put in two more .300 years. Portland (PCL) had him for two more, and at 41 he retired to Grants Pass. (ADS)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 22, 1922: The Browns' Ken Williams hits three home runs, and two singles, against the visiting White Sox, with George Sisler on base each time, to lead St. Louis to a 10–7 win. He's the first American League player to hit three round trippers in a game. Given a head start on the suspended Babe Ruth, he will take the home run and RBI titles and become the first 30-30 man, with 39 home runs and 37 SBs. » April 24, 1922: The Browns trip the Tigers, 6–2, as Ken Williams again homers, a two-run shot off Red Oldham. » April 25, 1922: In a 5–3 win over Detroit, Ken Williams smashes his 6th home run in four days, off Howard Ehmke, tying Babe Ruth's 1921 feat. On the 29th he'll pole two more. » April 30, 1922: Ken Williams is homerless, but the Browns beat the Indians, 11–9, despite hitting into a triple play. Urban Shocker is the winner for St. Louis, now tied (11-5) with the Yankees for first place. » May 23, 1922: George Sisler and Frank Baker match homers as the Browns and Yankees go into the 7th tied 3-3. Ken Williams #12, with two on, gives St. Louis a 6–3 lead, and Browns add five more off reliever Lefty O'Doul to win, 11–3. Urban Shocker is the winner. » May 29, 1922: The Browns top Detroit, 9–6, paced by Ken Williams grand slam in the 3rd inning. Harry Heilmann and Ty Cobb get into an argument with the umpires and will be suspended, missing tomorrow's twinbill. » July 5, 1922: The Cards' Rogers Hornsby hits his 20th home run, tying Ken Williams of the American League for home run leadership., and the Cards whip the Reds, 12–4. » July 28, 1922: The Yanks move back into first when Sad Sam Jones beats Ray Kolp, 7–3. Kolp lasts just two innings before Bill Bayne takes over for the final seven and allows two runs. Ken Williams hits his 23rd but Whitey Witt counters with a 3-run home run. » July 30, 1922: The Browns move to a one 1/2 game lead, beating the Red Sox, 4–1, as the White Sox beat New York. Ken Williams hits #26, one of three Brownie bombs. » September 4, 1922: At home, the Browns win decisively, beating the Indians, 10–3 and 13–2. Urban Shocker wins his 23rd in the morning and Ken Williams hits his 33rd. Sisler is 4-for-4 in the opener and 3-for-5 in game two to run his hit streak to 34 straight games. Vangilder is the winner in the nitecap. » September 5, 1922: The Browns take over 1st place by beating the Indians, 10–9 as Urban Shocker wins his 23rd, in relief. He'll win no more. Ken Williams hits his 34th, a grand slam. » September 9, 1922: Baby Doll Jacobson collects three triples to lead the Browns to a 16–0 whitewash of the Tigers. The victory, the most lopsided in Browns' history, goes to pitcher Elam Vangilder. St. Louis totals 20 hits with Ken Williams hitting a homer in his 5th straight game, his 37th of the year. Sisler has three hits to keep his hit streak alive, as the Browns keep pace with New York, winners in 10 innings against Washington. » September 19, 1922: Against the Senators Walter Johnson, Ken Williams hit his 39th home run of the year in the 4th, and Pat Collins, subbing for Sisler at 1B, adds another solo home run in the 7th to give the Browns a 2–1 lead. But the Senators rally to win, 4-3, with Walter Johnson earning the win over Elam Vangilder. Sisler pinch hits and strikes out. Washington will win again tomorrow, 5–0. » August 20, 1923: A 4-piece bat used by Ruth is banned by AL president Ban Johnson because of the glue used on it. A protest is made against the Browns' Ken Williams for using a bat with a wooden plug in it. Johnson rules that all bats must be one piece with nothing added except tape extending to 18 inches up the handle. » May 20, 1925: George Sisler's 34-game hitting streak, stretching back to Opening Day, is stopped by the A's Lefty Grove and Slim Harriss. Browns teammate Ken Williams bangs a grand slam, but the A's win, 8–6. » December 15, 1927: The Browns sell home run-hitting Ken Williams to the Red Sox. At 38, Williams is still a .300 hitter, but his home run production will drop to 8. » January 29, 1930: Ken Williams, former AL home run champion and a lifetime .319 batter, goes from the Red Sox to the Yankees for the waiver price. He will be released before the season begins.