# 380 Earl Williams

Somewhat unloved....a short career despite solid to sometimes excellent numbers at the plate....Controversial, outspoken, and sometimes vulgar traits that were a downfall....Rookie of the Year 1971 buoyed by 28 home runs....virtually repeated numbers next year....maybe the most interesting feat of career was not with his bat but an almost instantaneous conversion to Catcher without any prior experience....The quality of his defensive play had his supporters at first, then detractors later on....further problems came with Earl’s eventual public reluctance to play backstop....traded to Orioles had multiple conflicts while power numbers held at the par set with the Braves....upheavals did not abate in 1974...numbers suffered too starting a sequence of trades/releases....Returned to Braves for 1975....then split Braves and Expos 1976....released and picked up by the free agent decimated 1977 Oakland team...baseball’s version of  a refugee camp at time....chipped in 13 home runs for last place A’s.....Released afterwards and didn’t get picked up...not exclusively at catcher but played 1^st and 3^rd too...wanted DH duties upon his arrival to the AL and didn’t get the role until last his MLB season.