
Class of 1983
Born: June 15, 1938 in Whistler, Alabama
Category: Baseball
Williams was discovered by the Chicago Cubs and proved to be one of their great finds. He batted .290 over a 17-year career. He played for Chicago from 1960 to 1974 and Oakland in 1975 and 1976. He was named the 1961 NL Rookie of the Year. He set the National League record of 1,117 consecutive games played. He was a six-time All-Star and he won the National League batting championship in 1972. Chicago retired the number 26 in his honor. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987.