Dib Williams

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Dib Williams

|image=DibWilliamsGoudeycard.jpg

|position=Infielder

|birth_date={{Birth date|1910|1|19}}

|birth_place=Greenbrier, Arkansas, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1992|4|2|1910|1|19}}

|death_place=Searcy, Arkansas, U.S.

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 27

|debutyear=1930

|debutteam=Philadelphia Athletics

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 29

|finalyear=1935

|finalteam=Boston Red Sox

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.267

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=29

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=201

|teams=

Philadelphia Athletics ({{mlby|1930}}–{{mlby|1935}})
Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|1935}})

}}

Edwin Dibrell Williams (January 19, 1910 – April 2, 1992) was an American professional baseball infielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1930 to 1935 with the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox. Listed at {{convert|5|ft|11|in|m}} and {{convert|175|lb|kg}}, he batted and threw right-handed.

Biography

Williams was born in 1910 in Greenbrier, Arkansas, and attended Hendrix College and Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University). At Hendrix, he played college basketball, college football, and competed in track and field.{{cite web |url=https://hendrixwarriors.com/sports/2013/11/23/BB_1123131724.aspx?id=62 |title=Warriors in the Pros |website=hendrixwarriors.com |publisher=Hendrix College Athletics |accessdate=March 20, 2021}} At Oklahoma A&M, he played on the non-varsity baseball team in 1928,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73972297/eight-freshmen-to-get-numerals/ |title=Eight Freshmen to Get Numerals |newspaper=Cushing Daily Citizen |location=Cushing, Oklahoma |page=8 |date=May 23, 1928 |accessdate=March 20, 2021 |via=newspapers.com}} was a quarterback on the football team—earning a varsity letter in 1926, 1927, and 1928{{cite web |url=https://okstate.com/sports/2020/12/21/football-letterwinners.aspx |title=All-Time Letterwinners: W |website=okstate.com |accessdate=March 20, 2021}}—and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha.{{cite book |url=https://dc.library.okstate.edu/digital/collection/OYearbook/id/7049 |title=The Redskin |volume=20 |page=333 |date=1929 |via=okstate.edu |accessdate=March 20, 2021}}

Williams' professional baseball career spanned 1929 to 1947; he missed the 1943–1945 seasons while serving in the United States Army.{{cite web |url=https://www.fold3.com/record/629725692/edwin-williams-1910-veterans-affairs-birls-death-file |title=Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File |publisher=United States Department of Veterans Affairs |website=fold3.com |url-access=subscription |accessdate=March 20, 2021}} Primarily a second baseman, he played every infield position, and one game as a left fielder, during his time playing professionally.

Williams played in Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Athletics from 1930 to 1935, including all seven games of the Athletics' loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1931 World Series. Williams' contract was sold to the Boston Red Sox on May 1, 1935, and he finished the year with Boston, his final major league season. In six major league seasons, Williams compiled a .267 batting average with 29 home runs and 201 runs batted in in 475 games played. Defensively, he had a .955 fielding percentage in 215 games at second base, and fielded .930 in 195 games at shortstop.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willidi01.shtml |title=Dib Williams Stats |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=March 20, 2021}}

In addition to playing professionally as late as 1947, Williams managed minor league teams in 1941 and 1946–1948.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=willia008edw |title=Dib Williams Minor League Statistics & History |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=March 20, 2021}}

Williams died in 1992 at age 82 in Searcy, Arkansas, and was buried in his hometown of Greenbrier.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/W/Pwilld107.htm |title=Dib Williams |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=March 20, 2021}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73917176/edwin-dibrell-williams/ |title=Edwin Dibrell Williams |newspaper=New York Daily News |agency=AP |page=38 |date=April 5, 1992 |accessdate=March 20, 2021 |via=newspapers.com}}