Hall of Famer Willie Stargell called him “the best left-handed hitter I ever saw.” Former Cubs manager Leo Durocher claimed he “was a machine.” During a span of eight seasons from 1963 to 1970, Billy Williams never missed a game, penciled in the lineup 1,117 consecutive times. For this, writers began to dub Billy Williams as “Iron Man.”
Billy Leo Williams was born on June 15, 1938, in Whistler, Alabama. He was the youngest of five children. It was not easy for a black kid growing up in the Deep South during the 40s and 50s but, even though the family often experienced hard times mustering up money for even the most basic necessities, they remained close to one another and found sanctuary in sports.