Woody Williams

:"This page is for the baseball pitcher. For the baseball infielder, see Woody Williams (infielder). For World War II Medal of Honor recipient, see Hershel W. Williams."Infobox MLB retired
name=Woody Williams


position=Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1966|8|19
city-state|Houston|Texas
debutdate=May 14
debutyear=by|1993
debutteam=Toronto Blue Jays
finaldate=September 22
finalyear=by|2007
finalteam=Houston Astros
stat1label=Win-Loss record
stat1value=132-116
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=4.19
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=1,480
teams=
* Toronto Blue Jays (by|1993-by|1998)
* San Diego Padres (by|1999-by|2001)
* St. Louis Cardinals (by|2001-by|2004)
* San Diego Padres (by|2005-by|2006)
* Houston Astros (by|2007)
highlights=
* All-Star selection (2003)

Gregory Scott "Woody" Williams (born August 19, 1966 in Houston, Texas) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He made his major league debut for the Toronto Blue Jays on May 14, by|1993.

Williams, a Cy-Fair high school graduate and University of Houston alumnus, began his career pitching in relief until he was moved to a full time starter in by|1997. On December 12, by|1998, he was traded to the San Diego Padres with Peter Tucci (minors) and Carlos Almanzar for right-handed pitcher Joey Hamilton. He worked exclusively as a starter in San Diego until he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Ray Lankford on August 2, by|2001.

After he was traded, Williams' career took off. While in San Diego that season, he posted an 8-8 won-loss record with a 4.97 ERA in 23 starts, but with St. Louis, Williams went 7-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 11 starts.

He continued to pitch well for St. Louis, making the 2003 All-Star Game and starting Game 1 of the 2004 World Series.

After the by|2004 season came to a close, Williams filed for free agency and signed back with the Padres on December 9, 2004.

On November 24, by|2006, the Houston Astros announced they had signed Williams to a two year, $12.5 million contract, at the same press conference announcing the Carlos Lee signing. [http://houston.astros.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061124&content_id=1745768&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou]

After a poor showing during the by|2008 spring training, Williams was released on March 29 and subsequently retired.

Pitching style

Williams used an assortment of different pitches against opposing batters. He used a cut fastball which he could throw between 89-92 mph, and his cutter was considered his best pitch overall. He relied on his curveball as his strikeout pitch, and utilized a straight change as well. Williams was also known to throw an occasional knuckleball in games.

Williams was known to lose his effectiveness in games as his pitch count increases, and rarely made it past the seventh inning in games. [ [http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/player?categoryId=85820 Williams' scouting report] ]

Personal life

Woody has done a lot in the Alvin, Texas community. In 2002, he donated money to the Alvin High School athletic program to help buy new equipment. He also trained with the Alvin High baseball team before heading off to spring training.

He has four children, Katelyn, Hannah, Caden, and Lillian, and currently resides in Houston with them and his wife. Hannah and Caden currently go to Fort Bend Baptist Academy in Sugar Land, TX. They are going into 10th grade and 8th grade. His cousin Chase Ortiz is a standout defensive end at Texas Christian University. During the 2005 season, Williams was forced to deal with a tragedy in the family when his sister, Gretchen Williams Richardson, shot and killed her husband John Richardson. She later pleaded guilty to homicide and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. However, in a rare case of media restraint, the story was not reported until well after the case was settled due to the local media's respect for Williams' wishes to keep the story out of the public eye. [http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20061009-9999-1s9padside.html]

References

External links