Gus Williams

Who was Gus Williams?

August Joseph "Gus" Williams, Jr., known also as "Gloomy" Gus Williams, was a German American professional baseball player whose career spanned 10 seasons, five of which were spent in Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Browns. Over his major league career, Williams batted .263 with 171 runs scored, 367 hits, 58 doubles, 31 triples, 12 home runs, 147 runs batted in, and 95 stolen bases in 410 games played. Williams career started out in 1909 with the Monmouth Browns of the Class-D Illinois–Missouri League. After playing in the minor leagues for two seasons, Williams made his major league debut in 1911. He had another stint in the majors in 1912. In 1913, Williams served as the Browns regular outfielder. He was a dead-ball era power hitter for the Browns, ranking in the top-10 amongst American League hitters in home runs during the 1913 and 1914 seasons. He led the league in strikeouts in 1914. Williams would make his last appearance in the major leagues during the 1915 season. He would go on to play in the minors with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Volunteers, Louisville Colonels, and Indianapolis Indians. In the minors, he compiled a career batting average of .293 with 838 hits in 759 games played. Williams also played semi-professional baseball after leaving the professional circuit. He batted and threw left-handed. During his baseball career, Williams stood at 6 feet and weighed 185 pounds.