Ricky Williams--1999
Scout Tales…
On the final weekend of the 2011 football
season I watched Baltimore beat
Cincinnati, 24-16, as 34-year old Ravens
running back Ricky Williams became the
26th player in NFL history to top the
10,000 yard rushing mark.
As the camera panned to the 11-year
NFL veteran on the sidelines after his
accomplishment, I remembered back to
the first time I saw Ricky Williams.
It was 1997 and as a scout for the
Marlins I found myself wandering through
the South Atlantic League. It was July
and the weather was heating up in
Kannapolis, NC as I covered the Phillies
low-A Piedmont Boll Weevils.
Signed out of Patrick Henry High School,
San Diego, CA in the 8th round of 1995;
the Phillies took a shot that the athletic
Williams’ collegiate football career at the
University of Texas would fall short and
that baseball would be his true calling.
Drafted as a shortstop in high school, I
saw Williams play left field for the Boll
Weevils in ’97. As a scout you instantly
saw the big league body and smiled. And
boy, could he fly down the baseline,
motoring like a train chugging down the
track.
Unfortunately, the train didn’t stop
frequently at first base or head to
second base very often, as Williams was
a routine out for Sally League pitchers.
Splitting his time between college football
during the school year and summers in
pro ball is a difficult proposition, which
held true for Williams. The 20-year old
struggled in his second season in the
Sally League, hitting just .206 in 37
games.
In the outfield he was crude, as Williams
routinely bobbled ground balls and
misread fly balls. With a stiff swing at the
plate he had a quick bat; but there wasn’
t much contact, as Williams would fan
179 times in 568 minor league at-bats
(32% of the time). Williams would walk
away from baseball after hitting just .211
over 170 games during four minor
league seasons.
In the end, Williams would excel at
Texas, capturing the 1998 Heisman
Trophy and go on to a successful, albeit
controversial, NFL career--- and over
10,000 rushing yards.
Editor’s Note: I did see one really good
player for the Boll Wievells in 1997, a
tiny shortstop who hit .270 with 46 stolen
bases while he flashed the leather. It was
future NL MVP Jimmy Rollins.
(1/8/12)
On the final weekend of the 2011 football
season I watched Baltimore beat
Cincinnati, 24-16, as 34-year old Ravens
running back Ricky Williams became the
26th player in NFL history to top the
10,000 yard rushing mark.
As the camera panned to the 11-year
NFL veteran on the sidelines after his
accomplishment, I remembered back to
the first time I saw Ricky Williams.
It was 1997 and as a scout for the
Marlins I found myself wandering through
the South Atlantic League. It was July
and the weather was heating up in
Kannapolis, NC as I covered the Phillies
low-A Piedmont Boll Weevils.
Signed out of Patrick Henry High School,
San Diego, CA in the 8th round of 1995;
the Phillies took a shot that the athletic
Williams’ collegiate football career at the
University of Texas would fall short and
that baseball would be his true calling.
Drafted as a shortstop in high school, I
saw Williams play left field for the Boll
Weevils in ’97. As a scout you instantly
saw the big league body and smiled. And
boy, could he fly down the baseline,
motoring like a train chugging down the
track.
Unfortunately, the train didn’t stop
frequently at first base or head to
second base very often, as Williams was
a routine out for Sally League pitchers.
Splitting his time between college football
during the school year and summers in
pro ball is a difficult proposition, which
held true for Williams. The 20-year old
struggled in his second season in the
Sally League, hitting just .206 in 37
games.
In the outfield he was crude, as Williams
routinely bobbled ground balls and
misread fly balls. With a stiff swing at the
plate he had a quick bat; but there wasn’
t much contact, as Williams would fan
179 times in 568 minor league at-bats
(32% of the time). Williams would walk
away from baseball after hitting just .211
over 170 games during four minor
league seasons.
In the end, Williams would excel at
Texas, capturing the 1998 Heisman
Trophy and go on to a successful, albeit
controversial, NFL career--- and over
10,000 rushing yards.
Editor’s Note: I did see one really good
player for the Boll Wievells in 1997, a
tiny shortstop who hit .270 with 46 stolen
bases while he flashed the leather. It was
future NL MVP Jimmy Rollins.
(1/8/12)
