Roy S. Williams

Flanked by his brother Harry and his buddy, a local young catcher named Josh Gibson, Roy S. Williams was an original member of the first Crawford Recreation Center Black baseball team. Founded in 1927 in the Hill district of North Pittsburgh, this team became the iconic Negro League franchise the Pittsburgh Crawfords. By 1930, when the team became a full professional squad, Williams had developed into the Crawfords’ best pitcher. In 1931, he was a starting pitcher for the great 1931 Homestead Grays before returning to the Crawfords for 1932. Before arm trouble forced his retirement in 1936, Williams would appear for several more Negro League teams.

Roy S. Williams was born on July 24, 1907, in Sparks, Georgia, a town in the southern part of the state, roughly 30 miles north of Valdosta. His parents, John Williams, a public works laborer, and Mary Williams, 10 years younger and born in South Carolina, had married in 1902. Mary gave birth to son Harry in 1905 and later to a daughter Julia in 1909 and the family still resided in Sparks as of the 1910 census. Little is known of Roy’s upbringing, but the family’s eventual move to Pittsburgh almost assuredly was related to the Great Migration involving thousands of African Americans fleeing the rural South for a better way of life to the Northeast and the West.

As of 1927, Williams resided in the Hill district of Pittsburgh, as did other future Negro League players Harold Tinker and Claude Johnson. By May, Williams was pitching for the Hemlock Street All-Stars from Northside, with brother Harry, another newcomer, manning first base.1 Williams soon began playing for the Crawford Recreation Center team, which had been organized by John Clarke and Harry Hall. The Crawford team also had Howard Kimbo, Johnny Moore, Wayland Bryant, Ashby Bankston, Harry Beale, and Bill Jones on the roster. Williams’ victories on July 4 over Homestead Community, 9-7, and July 15 over Philco 27-3 in the Colored Industrial and Community League (“Playground League”) games lifted the Crawfords to their 22nd straight victory without a defeat.2 He beat the Brookline Alms Club team 7-2 on three hits on July 22 for the Crawfords 25th win in a row. By August, the right-hander Williams, the “pride of the Crawford mound staff,” shut out the Garfield A.B.C.’s, 3-0.3 By season’s end, the Crawfords were hailed amateur champions of Western Pennsylvania and winners of the league trophy provided by the Pittsburgh Press.4 The team dubbed “the Little Homestead Grays”5 earned a berth in the National Baseball Federation championship in Michigan against the Reliance Life Insurance Company of Detroit, composed of White college players.

Williams returned to the Crawfords R.C. team in 1928, now also known as the Colored Giants and run by Jim Dorsey. Teammates included the brothers Bill and Neal Harris, Jimmy Hill, and Whitey Turner. By July, Williams was considered potentially the best Pittsburgh sandlot hurler, as his “dazzling fast ball, which cuts the plate in a zigzag fashion, is poison to opposing batsmen.”6 His performance and frame (6’2” and 185 pounds) helped label him “Little Smokey Joe,” after eventual Hall of Fame pitcher “Smokey” Joe Williams. Roy Williams beat the Springdale Buccaneers 5-2 on August 3, striking out 12.7 In late August, the Crawfords again defeated Garfield to claim the local amateur colored title.

By June 1929, Williams had joined the barnstorming Ebenezer Royals colored squad based out of Baltimore.8 His “mixture of floaters, dusters, and gas balls was puzzling” as Williams struck out 10 during a June 23 victory over the (White) Hollins Athletic Club.9 The “ace right-hander” threw a no-hitter on July 14, striking out 13, against a (White) Coleman’s All-Stars team in Dundalk, Maryland.10 The Royals took the semipro championship of Baltimore, with Williams having won eight of his first nine decisions.11 His only loss, after five straight victories, was an 8-6 decision on July 7 to Georgetown A.C., bitten by seven Royals errors.12 Nicknamed “Pencil” during this time, Williams won his 10th game through complete-game victories on consecutive days but was being ‘overworked’ by the Royals as of August.13 Nonetheless, Williams was “invincible” on September 15 during a shut out over the St. Mary’s Industrial School, 1-0, earning 13 strikeouts and winning his own game with an RBI double.14

Williams, “an old favorite of the fans,” returned for 1930 to the Crawford Colored Giants,15 who were considered the second-ranked colored team in Pittsburgh, behind the Homestead Grays.16 The “elongated Williams, after a season in Baltimore, in back in his home town, where he made his ‘rep,’ and his bullet-like delivery is expected to be harder than ever to solve.”17 Williams, “Big” Howard Kimbo, and Harry Kincannon formed the pitching staff, while Josh Gibson and Whitey Turner handled the catchers duties for manager Harry Beale. On May 26, Williams, with Gibson as his backstop, beat Edgewood 12-7, for the Crawford Colored Giants’ 14th straight victory.18 As a footnote, both Williams and Gibson also subbed for the depleted Memphis Red Sox on June 7 at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field against the Homestead Grays. The Crawfords held a 19-2 mark going into a June 14 clash with W.O.W., the greater Pittsburgh champions. Williams beat them 9-8, allowing but one earned run, in front of 5,000 fans at Ammons Field.19On September 6, Williams propelled the Giants to a 4-1 complete-game, four-hit victory over the Brown’s Stars of Youngstown at Forbes Field.20 He was considered the Crawfords’ leading pitcher of the 1930 campaign.21

The 1930 census has John (a mill laborer), Mary (10 years younger), and Roy (a brickyard laborer) living in Pittsburgh with sister Julia and her husband Henry Covington and two young children Mary D. and William.22

Then, for the 1930 campaign, Williams joined the intracity Homestead Grays, managed by Cum Posey, becoming the third Williams on the pitching staff, following Smoky Joe Williams and Lefty Williams. Williams, “a local lad,” relieved Ted Radcliffe, another new Gray, on April 18 in a 24-3 drubbing of the Pennsylvania Railroad team based out of Cleveland.23 On May 21, Williams blanked the Book’s Shoe club team 16-0 in five innings at Olympia Park in Pittsburgh.24 On June 1, Williams fell 6-4 to the Homewood team, being relieved by George Britt then Willie Foster.25 On June 13, Williams beat the Edgewood, 5-4, with Radcliffe relieving him in the eighth inning.26 Williams took a shutout into the ninth inning in an 8-2 complete-game victory over Verona on July 23 to give the Grays their 10th straight triumph.27 On August 22, Williams nearly threw a no-hitter against the Canton Bakers in the opener of a doubleheader. Williams allowed a hard grounder through the mound to get by with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lose the no-hitter and settle for an 8-0 one-hitter.28 In late August, the “‘kid’ of the Gray’s twirling staff” beat the Kansas City Monarchs 8-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader in Pittsburgh, throwing to his 20-year-old batterymate, the sensational Josh Gibson as the Grays took three of five in the weekend series held in Akron, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.29 In mid-September, Williams started in a 21-0 Grays whitewash of Ernest.30 By the end of the 1931 season with the amazing Grays, Roy Williams had pitched in seven known league games, starting three times with two complete games but holding a 1-3 record, 5.30 ERA, and allowing more walks (12) than strikeouts (11).

In 1932, Pittsburgh-area businessman Gus Greenlee raided the Grays roster and Williams returned to the hometown Crawfords.31It was reported in January that Williams, his pal Josh Gibson, and Ted Radcliffe would among those signed by Greenlee’s independent Crawfords at the recommendation of legendary Oscar Charleston (Williams’ old Grays teammate), the new player manager for the Crawfords.32 Greenlee apparently signed Williams as an inducement to get Gibson to jump also.33 Charleston, who played for the Grays in 1931, thought Williams “had the makings of a pitcher, and if properly coached would show his ability at once.”34 Roy’s brother Harry also joined the Crawfords, teaming up just as Waner brothers did for the Pirates in the same city.35The Crawfords would play at the new $50,000 Greenlee Park on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Francis Street in the Hill district.36 But before that, William’s went the distance as the Crawfords beat Wiley College 5-3 while training in Marshall, Texas in early April.37

Crawford’s pitching staff in 1932 included Sam Streeter, Satchel Paige, William Bell, and Harry Kincannon, who, along with Williams and Gibson, were three of the original Crawford Recreation Center players to join this new incarnation of the team. His 1932 Crawford highlight was when the “sensational young righthander of the locals” produced a dominating victory over a strong independent Mayfair Club in Philadelphia, 6-4, on May 2.38 In June, Williams was being considered as a potential trade candidate, as time on the bump for the Crawfords was tough to come by.39 As of late July the Crawfords had won 18 in a row.40 But, in early August, Williams lost 4-0 to Willis Flournoy and the Baltimore Black Sox.41 Over 11 games with Crawford Williams posted an official record of 5-3, while going a paltry 1-for-19 at the plate.42 He then joined those same Black Sox of the East-West League, managed by Dick Lundy.43 The Black Sox themselves had pieced together an 18-game winning streak after a late August defeat of the Grays and two Williams complete-game victories in Pennsylvania over white opponents Media Athletic Club, 4-0, and the Cape May Collegians, 9-3.44 In October, Williams pitched 7 2/3 innings in relief of Webster McDonald (who had joined the Sox for this exhibition) in an 8-2 defeat to a team of white all-stars, which included Hack Wilson, Buzz Arlett, and Fred Frankhouse.45 Williams won all three of his league decisions for the Black Sox.

Before the 1933 season, it was reported that Williams would join his brother Harry on the New York Black Yankees, where he had been playing third base for the team’s March trip to Cuba and Puerto Rico.46 Williams did start on April 22 for the Black Yanks against the Bay Parkways. In fact, the Pittsburgh Courier verified this in an early May correction, after they had printed a picture of Columbus’s Roy K. Williams instead of the local Pittsburgh boy Roy S. Williams.47 But, in mid-May, Roy, Harry and Crush Holloway left the Black Yankees to join Joe Cambria’s Baltimore Black Sox of the new Negro National League II, managed byJesse Hubbard. Williams fell 3-1 to the Homestead Grays in the first game of the season-opening home doubleheader at Bugle Field.48 He then exacted revenge against the Grays in June with a 10-inning, 5-3 triumph.49 The “former Crawford pitcher” was considered the “ace” of the “Mound City twirling staff” by July.50 The “lanky hurler” beat the Bacharachs 16-5 in seven innings in late July.51 He “even surprised himself” by hitting a home run for the Sox against a team of White pros from Philadelphia on August 13 in a doubleheader sweep.52 Williams played for the NNL all-star team against the Homestead Grays on Labor Day, September 4.53 Roy led the NNL in saves in 1933. His record for the Sox was 3-5 over 11 games with a 4.62 ERA. It was opined that Williams “some day will be one of the real stars of the game if he learns to control that temper.”54

Williams pitched for the Philadelphia Stars in 1934 and the Brooklyn Eagles (Royal Giants) in 1935, where he once again joined brother Harry. On April 21, Williams defeated the Jerseys of Jersey City, New Jersey 11-0 on four hits (but eight walks).55However, Roy Williams was released in June, along with pitcher Jimmy Reese56 and statistics show he made his way back to the Homestead Grays for at least one game in 1935.

Williams then reportedly joined a fledgling New York Crusaders team, which included Dick Lundy and six former members of the Newark Dodgers57 but by mid-June he was back with the Brooklyn Royal Giants. However, soon after he suffered an arm injury and was forced to retire.58

The 1940 census listed Roy living with his now widowed mother Mary and brother Harry in Pittsburgh, both sons still listed as ballplayers and having completed two years of high school. Also living with them were their sister Julia Covington and nephew Henry Covington.

Roy S. Williams died on July 17, 1944, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at age of 36 of unknown causes. He is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania.

Sources

In addition to those listed in the endnotes below, the author utilized Seamheads.com, Baseball-Reference.com, and MyHeritage.com.

Photo credit: Pittsburgh Courier.

Notes

1 “Hemlocks Are Strengthened,” Pittsburgh Courier, May 28, 1927: 17.

2 “Crawford Club Has Won 22 Games,” Pittsburgh Courier, July 16, 1927: 17.

3 William Forsythe, Jr., “Crawfords Lose 1, Win 2,” Pittsburgh Courier, August 20, 1927: 17.

4 “Crawfords to Open Friday,” Pittsburgh Courier, May 5, 1928: 17.

5 William Forsythe, Jr., “Elimination Game Won by Crawford A.C.,” Pittsburgh Courier, July 30, 1927: 16.

6 Harry Beale, “Cavorting Around Local Sandlots,” Pittsburgh Courier, July 20, 1928: 22.

7 Harry Beale, “On the Sandlots,” Pittsburgh Courier, August 4, 1928: 18.

8 “Royals Take Four in Row,” Afro-American, June 22, 1929: 14.

9 “Royals Divvy With Hollins Club,” Afro-American, June 29, 1929: 14.

10 “Royals’ Pitcher in No Hit, No Run Win,” Afro-American, July 20, 1929: 14.

11 “Royals Challenge Moons,” Afro-American, August 10, 1929: 14.

12 “Fist Fight Almost Ends Diamond Tilt,” Afro-American, July 13, 1929: 15.

13 “Royals Win Three Weekend Contests,” Afro-American, August 17, 1929: 14.

14 “Royals Win 2 From St. Mary’s Nine,” Afro-American, September 21, 1929: 14.

15 “Galaxy of Local Diamond Stars on Crawfords Roster,” Pittsburgh Courier, April 12, 1930: 17. Seamheads Negro League database also listed Williams as pitching one game with the Memphis Red Sox.

16 “Crawford Giants of 1930 to be Strong Aggregation,” Pittsburgh Courier, February 22, 1930: 15.

17 “Moody Joins Crawfords,” Pittsburgh Courier, March 22, 1930: 14.

18 “Crawfords Again,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 27, 1930: 20.

19 “Champs Bow in 9-8 Defeat to Crawfords,” Pittsburgh Courier, June 21, 1930: 15.

20 “Crawfords Beat Browns,” Pittsburgh Press, September 7, 1930: 40; “Crawfords on Top,” Philadelphia Tribune, September 11, 1930: 9.

21 “Crawfords Begin Final Workouts,” Pittsburgh Courier, April 4, 1931: 14.

22 However, another 1930 census entry shows Harry (24) and Mary Williams (23) with their 7-year-old daughter Delores, with Julia and her children Mary and William living with them in Baltimore.

23 “Hard-Hitting Gray Team Trounces Foe from Cleveland, 24-3,” Pittsburgh Courier, April 25, 1931: 14.

24 “Book Blanked by Grays,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 22, 1931: 22.

25 “Homewood Defeats Grays,” Pittsburgh Courier, June 6, 1931: 14.

26 “Grays Score Double Win,” Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, June 14, 1931: 21.

27 “Ten in Row for Grays,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 24, 1931: 16.

28 “Gray’s Pitcher Near No-Hit, No-Run Game,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 24, 1931: 15.

29 “The Kansas City Monarchs and Homestead Grays Vied Before 10,000 in Series,” St. Louis Argus, September 4, 1931: 14. See also Gilmore, “Grays Cop Odd Game in Series with Monarchs,” Kansas City American, September 3, 1931: 7.

30 “Homestead Grays Didn’t Do Much to Ernest, Only Beat Them, 21-0,” Indiana (Pennsylvania) Gazette, September 19, 1931: 8.

31 See Jeremy Beer, “Kings of the Hill: The Story of the Pittsburgh Crawfords,” 2020, SABR.org website Kings of the Hill: The Story of the Pittsburgh Crawfords – Society for American Baseball Research.

32 “Charleston Signs to Lead 1932 Pittsburgh Crawfords,” Kansas City Call, January 29, 1932: 13; “Many New Players on Crawford Club,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 15, 1932: 15.

33 James A. Riley, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues (New York: Carroll and Graf, 1994), 861. Parts of the Riley entry for “Roy K. Williams” conflate Roy Kenneth Williams, also a Negro League pitcher in the 1930s, with our subject, Roy S. Williams.

34 R. Earl Johnson, “Spotting Sports,” Pittsburgh Courier, September 23, 1933: 15.

35 John L. Clark, “With the Crawfords,” Afro-American, April 2, 1932: 14.

36 “Oscar Charleston to Pilot Crawfords,” Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, January 26, 1932: 21.

37 “Crawfords Bunch Hits, Beat Wiley,” Afro-American, April 9, 1932: 15.

38 “Crawfords Return to City; Will Play Dormont Saturday,” Pittsburgh Courier, May 7, 1932: 14.

39 “Crawford Players Involved in Trades,” Pittsburgh Courier, June 18, 1932: A5.

40 “Craws Win in First Night Series in East,” Pittsburgh Courier, August 6, 1932: 14.

41 “Balto Wins Friday,” Pittsburgh Courier, August 6, 1932: 14.

42 Baseball-Reference.com. The printed statistics from after that season show a record of 4-2 over 10 games. See Chester L. Washington, “Sez Ches,” Pittsburgh Courier, January 21, 1933: 15 and January 28, 1933: 13.

43 Bill Gibson, “Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya,” Afro-American, August 6, 1932: 14.

44 “Black Sox Defeat Homestead Grays,” Afro-American, September 3, 1932: 17.

45 “Lost First Game But Win Nightcap,” Afro-American, October 15, 1932: 17.

46 Clint Thomas, “Black Yanks Win Series,” Afro-American, March 11, 1933: 16.

47 “Beg Pardon!” Pittsburgh Courier, May 6, 1933: 4.

48 “Homestead Grays Cop Double Bill from Sox,” Afro-American, May 27, 1933: 17.

49 “Balto. Sox Win Three Games from Homestead Grays,” Afro-American, June 17, 1933: 16.

50 “Craws, Cubans Score Wins in East,” Pittsburgh Courier, July 1, 1933: 15.

51 “Sox Pound Four Bacharach Hurlers to Win Twin Bill,” Afro-American, July 29, 1933: 16.

52 “Sox Make Pros Appear Amateurs to Win Pair,” Afro-American, August 19, 1933: 21.

53 “N.N. League Play Grays Here Labor Day,” Pittsburgh Courier, September 2, 1933: A5.

54 R. Earl Johnson, “Spotting Sports.”

55 “Royal Giants Hand Jerseys First Setback of Season,” Jersey (Jersey City, New Jersey) Journal, April 22, 1935: 15.

56 “And Here’s the Dope on Primo,” Pittsburgh Courier, June 22, 1935: A4.

57 “Six Former Newark Dodgers on New Team,” Philadelphia Tribune, May 14, 1936: 12.

58 Riley, p. 862.