As a teen, Jimmy Williams was a multi-sport star at Toronto’s De La Salle College School, excelling in hockey, football, lacrosse and baseball. He was soon signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and would play in their minor league system for 18 seasons (1947 to 1964).
Though he never received a big league call-up, Williams was a highly-regarded minor league hitter. In his first season in the Dodgers organization, the Canadian outfielder suited up for three different teams and recorded a .367 batting average and knocked in 121 runs. One of his finest seasons came with the Montreal Royals in 1955, when he hit .329 and belted 13 homers. In all, Williams hit .288 and clubbed 126 home runs during his minor league career.
When his playing days were over, Williams would manage in the minors for 17 seasons for the Dodgers, A’s, Astros and Orioles. He also coached in the majors with Houston in 1975 and with Baltimore from 1981 to 1987, where he was the first base coach on the 1983 World Series-winning squad.
