Whatever Happened...

An update on past news

Wednesday, February 26, 1997

Long before El Sid,
there was Williams

What ever happened to Johnny Williams, a 1907 Punahou graduate and the first person from Hawaii to make it to the major leagues?

John Brodie Williams died in Long Beach, Calif., Sept. 8, 1963. He was 74.

The record book shows "Honolulu Johnny" pitched for the Detroit Tigers in 1914 and turned in an 0-2 performance. The Honolulu native had a 6.35 earned run average in four games, three of which he started. He completed one and pitched a total of 111/3 innings. He allowed 17 hits, five walks and struck out four. He had three at bats with no hits.

He pitched many minor league games, but he considered a 1-0 American League loss to the Big Train, Walter Johnson, and the old Washington Senators his finest. Williams gave up only two hits while his Tiger teammates tagged the Big Train for seven. An error gave Washington the game's only run.

Williams had a 17-7 season in 1913 with the Sacramento Solons in the Pacific Coast League, having also pitched for the Solons in 1912. After Detroit, he landed back in the PCL and pitched for Salt Lake in 1915 and Los Angeles in 1916. He returned home to join the Hawaiian Infantry in World War I, never returning to organized baseball. He later pitched in the Commercial and Honolulu Senior Leagues. In 1919, he headed a team of Hawaii Stars on a tour of Japan. They played 21 games in less than a month all over Japan, and Williams pitched in 18, completing every one.

With his blinding fast ball and superb control, old-timers said he was one of the greatest pitchers to ever call Hawaii home.