Clarence Williams (baseball)

Clarence E. "Waxey" Williams (January 27, 1866 – September 23, 1934)[2] was an American baseball catcher who played for predecessor teams to the Negro leagues. He joined the Cuban Giants, the first black professional team, during their first season. He played at least 20 years for major teams. He was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and the first black player to play for Harrisburg on City Island.[3]

Clarence E. Williams
Catcher
Born: (1866-01-27)January 27, 1866
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Died: September 23, 1934(1934-09-23) (aged 68)
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
debut
1885, for the Cuban Giants
Last appearance
1912, for the Smart Set
Teams

In his time the Cuban Giants played in otherwise all-white leagues during 1887, 1889, and 1890, but Williams and Frank Grant played on the otherwise white Harrisburg team in the Eastern Interstate League. (Harrisburg and the Giants battled for the pennant.)

References

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  1. ^ "Cuban X-Giants are Champions" The Patriot, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Saturday, September 19, 1903, Page 7, Column 1
  2. ^ "Clarence Williams". seamheads.com. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  3. ^ Jackson, Jr., Calobe; McArdle, Katie Wingert; Pettegrew, David, eds. (2020). One Hundred Voices: Harrisburg's Historic African American Community, 1850-1920. Grand Forks, ND: The Digital Press at the University of North Dakota. ISBN 978-1-7345068-5-3.
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