Todd Williams

Todd Michael Williams (born February 13, 1971) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He attended East Syracuse-Minoa High School graduating in 1989. He then attended Onondaga Community College before signing a professional baseball contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers of the Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1991. Over the course of his professional career Williams played for 10 different organizations,
including all or parts of eight seasons in the Major Leagues. He is a retired 18-year professional baseball player, with eight years of Major League Baseball experience. Williams was also a member of the USA Baseball team three separate years, with the highlight of winning a Gold Medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics held in Sydney, Australia.
Williams, who retired from baseball after the 2008 season, holds the all-time Minor League Baseball record for saves with 223, compiled during an 18-year professional career. A four-time Triple-A All-Star Game participant, Williams also holds the record for most career appearances by a professional member of Team USA.
Williams served as bullpen closer for the 2000 United States Olympic Baseball Team during the Sydney, Australia Summer Games. That squad was the lone USA baseball team to win an Olympic gold medal during the span (1988–2008) when baseball was an Olympic medal sport. Williams was a member of the 2001 American League Champion New York Yankees.
Early life.
Williams graduated from East Syracuse-Minoa High School in 1989. He was a two-sport athlete
lettering in basketball and baseball. He received all league honors in '88 for baseball and
in '89 was a sectional all-star for the O.H.S.L Champion Spartan baseball team. A three-year
member of the Varsity Baseball team, recording an E.R.A. of a 2.19 in "87, 2.10 in '88
and 2.13 in '89 while holding a .354 batting average his senior year of '89.
Amateur career.
Williams attended Onondaga Community College. In his 1990 season Williams received the
Student–Athlete of the year award and was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 54th
round of the 1990 Amateur Draft.
Williams elected to play his 1991 season at Onondaga Community College and was selected to the first team
all-region all-star team as well as sharing the Kelly J Dwyer Award (MVP) with teammate Marc Grande. Williams
finished 8th in the Nation in E.R.A (1.14), and as of '91 was 7th in all-time leaders in E.R.A. (1.76). In
1990 Onondaga ranked 20th in the nation as a team. Onondaga ranked 3rd nationally in hitting with a .369
batting average, finished with the 4th best winning percentage in the country in '90 going 25-3 .893% and in
'91 finished with the 5th best winning percentage in the country going 29-5. Williams then signed with the
Los Angeles Dodgers before the 1991 draft.
Professional career.
Los Angeles Dodgers.
Williams moved up the Dodgers ladder quickly, making it from short-season Great Falls in 1991 to Triple
A Albuquerque by 1993, and made his big-league debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 29, 1995
against the Atlanta Braves, retiring all three batters he faced.
Oakland Athletics.
He was traded to the Oakland Athletics
four months later, on Sept, 8, 1995, spending the 1996 season at Triple-A Edmonton where he was used in varied
roles, including making 10 of what would be just 12 career starts.
Baltimore Orioles.
Over the next eight seasons, Williams would play for six more organizations – Cincinnati Reds (1997–99),
Seattle Mariners (1999–2000), the New York Yankees (2001), Montreal Expos (2002), Tampa Bay Rays
(2003) and Texas Rangers (2004), seeing some big league time with the Reds (six games in 1998), Mariners
(13 games in 1999) and Yankees (15 games in 2001) before signing with the Baltimore Orioles on June 23, 2004.
He would spend the next four years with the Orioles, including all of 2005 and most of 2006 in the big leagues.
After posting a 2.87 ERA in 29 games with the Orioles in 2004, Williams made the club out of spring training in
'05. In 72 games (eighth in the American League), he posted a 3.30 ERA, including his first Major League save,
which came on August 19 in a 5-3 win against the Oakland Athletics.
Williams notched one more save in the majors with the Orioles in 2006 after posting a 4.74 ERA in 62 games. Williams struggled after sustaining an injury in 2007. He went on to post a 7.53 ERA in 14 games. Williams was
subsequently released by the Orioles on June 17 of that year.
Minor League.
He finished the '07 season with the
Colorado Rockies organization, pitching at Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Colorado Springs before becoming a
minor league free agent.
Williams finished his playing career in 2008 with the Long Island Ducks of the Independent Atlantic League
with a 2.68 ERA in 37 games and eight saves, which do not count towards his record-breaking total.
Personal life.
Since retiring, Williams lives in the Tampa, FL, area with his wife Erin,
sons Trey and Trevor and daughter Ally-Reese. He has been active in the youth
sports area in both his current community as well as his hometown of Syracuse, NY,
serving as volunteer coach in baseball, basketball and football doing youth-oriented
charity work. He has organized the following:
On December 13, 2007, Williams was one of many athletes mentioned in the detailed Mitchell Report by Senator
George Mitchell. Kirk Radomski claimed he sold Winstrol to Williams once in 2001. Todd Williams – Page 194 (242).
There was no corroborating evidence mentioned.