This Week in Oregon Sports History: 7/14/1915

In 1915, during the time of the War to End All Wars, baseball had many things going for it. A guy named Babe hit his first of many career home runs. Notorious racist Ty Cobb led the majors with a .369 batting average. Teams had names like the Robins, the Tip-Tops, and the Buffeds.

More importantly (for the purposes of this blog), young prospect Ken Williams of Grants Pass, Oregon debuted in the outfield for the Cincinnati Reds on July 14. Williams would go on to become one of the greatest hitters ever, finishing with 1,552 hits, a .319 batting average, and 196 home runs in 14 seasons with the Reds, St. Louis Browns, and Boston Red Sox. Williams managed to break up Babe Ruth's streak of 12 consecutive seasons leading the AL in homers. Williams also went on to become the inaugural member of the 30/30 club, hitting 39 homes and stealing 37 bases in 1922. This feat would go unmatched for 44 years, until the great Willie Mays came along. Ken Williams would not live much beyond then, passing away in Grants pass in 1959, at the age of 68.