By: Alex Patt

Here is another player that really does not need an introduction. He is one of the greatest to ever put on a Cubs uniform and had the “sweetest” swing in the team’s history. Our latest #RememberThatCub features the Hall of Fame outfielder, Billy Williams.

One of the numbers retired at Wrigley, Williams has been a Cubs great since he arrived in the Majors in 1959 as a 21-year old kid. The left-handed slugger is known for his consistency and durability on the baseball field, and he gave that his entire career. Playing on the Northside for 16 of his 18 MLB seasons, Williams slashed .296/.364/.867 with 392 home runs and 1,353 RBIs. He is third in hits on the all-time Cub list (2,510), third in home runs (392), fifth in walks (991), ninth in OPS (.867), fourth in RBI (1,353) and third in games played (2,213).

Williams won a number of honors over the years as a player. In 1961, his first full season he was Rookie of the Year with a .278/.338/.822 slash along with 25 home runs and 86 RBIs. He was part of six All Star teams in 1962, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1972 and 1973. Williams was Sporting News Player of the Year in 1972 when he won the NL batting title with a .333 average and coming in second in the NL MVP voting. In 1987 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and had his #26 retired at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finally built a statue of Williams in 2010 that sits on the corner of Addison and Sheffield.

One of his most outstanding achievements was his streak for playing in consecutive games. From September of 1963 to September of 1970, Williams played 1,117 consecutive games which is a Cubs record and at the time a National League record. He was called an “Iron Man” for his streak of baseball games played, and after he passed Cardinals Stan Musial for the record, there was a historic celebration at Wrigley Field. On June 29th, 1969 in a double header against the Cardinals, the Cubs hosted “Billy Williams Day” in a ceremony that honored him showering him and his family with gifts and flowers…including a new car! He gave an emotional speech thanking everyone for their support and it was a day engraved in Wrigley history.

Williams never saw the postseason as a Cub, but he was close as he was part of the famous 1969 team that saw their big lead in August slip away. Even if he never won, he entertained fans along with Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Fergie Jenkins, Don Kessinger and Randy Hundley for many years. After 16 years with the Cubs, Williams was traded to the Athletics for Manny Trillo, Bob Locker and Darold Knowles. He played his final two seasons with Oakland until he was released after the 1976 season at the age of 38. October 2, 1976 was his last game in the majors, recording his final MLB hit.

His final career numbers: .290/.361/.853/ 426 HR / 1,475 RBI / 2,711 hits / 63.6 bWAR

Like his playing career, his post-playing years he spent soft spoken, but still active with the Cubs. He had some coaching stints with the Cubs in the 90s and today at the age of 79 he is still an ambassador to the team. He was present on the stage during the 2016 World Series rally in Chicago along with Ryne Sandberg.

Do you #RememberThatCub?

Alex Patt is a contributor for Wrigley Rapport and other sports publications and podcasts. You can follow him on twitter @chifanpatt1