Today in Chicago Cubs History: April 30
April 30, 1970 was a great day for a player etched in Chicago Cubs history.
On that Thursday, outfielder Billy Williams became the first National League player in history to play 1,000 consecutive ballgames. Williams had a rough day that day at the plate going 0-4 in a 9-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves, but the streak was what mattered.
The Cubs finished 84-78 in 1970, five games behind the division winning Pittsburgh Pirates, who went on to lose to the National League champion Cincinnati Reds in three games.
Williams, the 1961 NL Rookie of the Year, and 6-time All-Star, batted .322 with 42 home runs and 129 runs batted in for the 1970 season, arguably his most productive in the majors.
His outstanding consecutive games streak ended at 1,117 games, and was eventually passed by San Diego Padres star Steve Garvey whose streak ended at 1,207 games. Williams is still sixth on the all-time list and developed a reputation as a great teammate and hard-worker, that, along with his outstanding lifetime production, earned him a place in the Hall of Fame.
“Sweet Billy” batted .290 over his 17 year career, hit a total of 426 home runs and drove in 1,475 runs– all numbers among the all-time best in Cubs history. Only Williams No. 26, Ryne Sandberg’s No. 23, Fergie Jenkins’ No. 31, Greg Maddux’s No. 31, Ernie Banks’ No. 14 and Ron Santo’s No. 10 have been retired by the Cubs.
Needless to say, Mr. Williams is in very good company.
During the 2010 season, Billy was immortalized with a bronze statue outside of Wrigley Field and is still a fixture at Cubs games today.
—
Kris Hughes is the College Football Network Manager for Rant Sports. If you enjoy his takes, you can follow Kris on Twitter, check out his personal Facebook page, or stop by his personal Tumblr page.
Buy Chicago Cubs Tickets | Buy Chicago Cubs Apparel
Leave a Rant
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
FEATURED PARTNERS
- The 25 Most Annoying Animals In Your Office
- Courtney Stodden Without Makeup
- 37 Saddest Failed Kickstarters
- UFC Fighter Ross Pearson Busted for DUI
- L.A. Lakers Star Jordan Hill -- GF-Beating Allegations Won't Torpedo Playoff Run
- Jay-Z --The Brooklyn Nets Lack Color
- Hey Bros: Win a Trip to L.A. to Train with an MMA Fighter, Courtesy of ‘Haywire’
- Why Does This MMA Fighter Have a Cat-Unicorn Tattoo?
- The Trailer for ‘Don’t Do It In the Park’: A Documentary About Pick-Up Basketball In NYC