The San Francisco call., 1910-10-16
NICK WILLIAMS A
VERSATILE PLAYER
Big Blonde T0sSer Has Filled
Many Positions on the Dia=
H1Ond AcCeptabiy
By WILLIAM ]. sLATTERY


Coast league ever turned out. Will
Jams can play any position on the dia-
mond, and play it well. He has per-
formed this feat for the San Francisco
team many times and got away with it
cleverIy
Williams is a product Of the HAYES
valley district. Like most Of the lads
who were raised out that way. he be
gan to play bail or the sand lots before
he knek A from q And lie has been
playing bali ever since.
Williams. after finishing in the old
Hayes Valley grammar school entered
ST. lgnatius college. II was there that
he learned the fine points Of the ma
tional game. It was there that he
first became really proficient in the art
of pitching; there he was instructed
in the science of inside baseball. He
owes to his early training at the old
Hayes street Jesuit institution his
present success.
Nick was captain and pitcher of the
college team and he was the big idol.
the star of the school He made
great hit with all his teammates by
his pleasant ways. The team which he
ehaded was a winner, as are most of
the St. Ignatius teams. Tt took most
OF them down the line and its success,
in a great measure. was due to the
twirler. He was the mainstay of the
nine
When he had completed his course al
St Ignatius, Williams determined to
keep on learning and in the spring of
1909 he entered the University of Cal
ifornia- In those days Nick never
dreamed Of becoming a professional
ball player. His dream was to gradu-
ate as mining engineer and to follow
that profession for the remainder of
his days.
But the fates willed otherwise. Soon
after he entered college Nick struck up
q friendship with OWE overall, the
great pitcher of the Chicago Cubs.
Both were young and athletically in
clined and both Were bent first Of all
upon making the football team They
were not concerned with baseball just
al that particular time.
Both did make the football team,
too, Williams as a tackle and Overall
as a guard. After their freshman year
each Of the big fellows Ioomed up as
q star. They were idolized and lion
lied by the other scholars at the uni
Versity. They were regarded as two
Of the greatest football players that
California had turned out in years
After the first football season had
passed, Williams and overall turned
their attention TO baseball Both
wanted to be pitchers. Both were ma
tursl pitchers Both were given their
tryouts and both made good.
Now they did not need the. services
Of both man then, so Williams and his
big pal and rival had to do something.
Instead Of fighting each other, they
agreed upon a plan. They decided to
alternate. They practiceJ in secret
and each discovered TO his JOY that
he was pretty handy behind the bat as
well as in the pitchers box.
=
pitch one game and Williams would
catch. The next time Williams would
pitch and Overall would catch The
system worked like charm. Not only
did California win the intercollegiate
mpionship that season, but it made
q trip through the northwest and met
and defeated every team that came its
way within q month 1t was the most
successful aggregation Of college ball
PLAYERS ever turned out on the Pacific
coast thanks to- Williams and Overall
principally.
During the following summer, 1902
Uncle Hank Harris, who was then the
director in chief Of san Francisco's
baseball fortunes. offered the young
pitcher q lob Williams folks were
very much opposed 10 his entering the
profes /0nai field, bat Nick was am
bitiout and. besides. he figured that he
could picq up a little easy money and
then go back to college.
Williams was a success from the
6rst He lost his initial game to Oak
land. principally because the team be-
hind him made many an error. Incl
dentally, Williams established a league
record in that game, accepting II field
ing chances without an error. He was
a big hit and Harris signed him for
the balance of the season.
The next year found Williams play
ing ball with the Columbus team of
the American association. In those
days this league was an outlaw organi-
zation and when Columbus offered the
young twirler more money he decided
TO accept and left San Francisco for
the time being.
Williams was a wonder back in Co
lumbus. He finished the season like a
champion. pitching winning ball and
also making good in the outfeld dur
ing his spare moments. He did so well
that Connie Mack. the great director of
the Philadelphia Athletics. wanted to
sign him, but Williams longed for the
Pacific coast again and in 1904 he
signed with old Parke Wilson, who was
then running the Seattle club.
Williams pitched, played the outfeld
and the 5nfeId for Seattle He was the
great utility man. He held down prac-
ticaIly every job on the diamond save
that Of catcher and had they need of
him behind the bat he would have re-
sponded- Seattle had great team that
year and Williams was one OF the
stars. finishing right up on the top OF
the list.
But he was lonesome for old San
Francisco once more and in 1905 he
came back to the club with which he
started. And he has been here ever
since. Williams started by pitching.
then he went 1.-The outfield and finally
he wound UP at first base. a position
he played till two years ago, when he
decided that he would like TO make
catcher out of himself
This is Nick's third season behind the
bat and he has been a fixture there
ever since he started. Last season he
was the best pinch hitter on the team
and to his timely bingles TO a large de-
gree was due the fact that San Fran
cisco galloped away with the pennant.