The River Monsters are honored to call Smokey Joe Williams Field our home! Born right here in Seguin, TX Smokey, also nicknamed Cyclone, went on to be a National Baseball Hall of Famer & is considered to be one of the best pitchers baseball has ever seen! His playing career began in 1905 in San Antonio and spanned 27 years playing for the New York Lincoln Giants, Homestead Grays and various other teams before ending his career with the Detroit Wolves in 1932.
Smokey threw a no-hitter on May 4th, 1919 in Harlem but his most memorable performance came in 1930 when he struck out 27 Kansas City Monarchs over 12 innings of one hit baseball in a 1-0 victory. He regularly hit double digit strikeout numbers and was known for his velocity and pin point accuracy. “If you have ever witnessed the speed of a pebble in a storm, you have not even then seen the equal of the speed possessed by this wonderful Texan giant,” wrote Negro Leagues owner Frank Leland of Joe Williams. “He is the King of all pitchers hailing from the Lone Star State...."
Despite never getting the opportunity to play in the major leagues, Smokey helped pave the way for future African-American players and was dubbed a "sure 30 game winner in the major leagues" by fellow legend Ty Cobb.
Happy Birthday Smokey!